The visit to Moscow by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell was the reason for the continuation of the sanctions war with Russia, a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Elena Panina expressed this opinion.
Borrell arrived in Moscow on 4 February and stayed in the Russian capital until 6 February. During this time, he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, representatives of Russian public organizations and the academic community. On his return to Brussels, Borrell expressed conflicting impressions of his visit to Moscow. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that his words do not correspond to the comments he made in Moscow after the talks.
“In fact, it is obvious that the visit was originally conceived as a pretext for a new round of the sanctions war with Russia. This was also connected with the demand to organize a meeting with Navalny, which in itself is a gross interference in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation,” RIA Novosti quotes Panina.
The legislator also drew attention to the differences in the statements made by the head of European diplomacy in Moscow and after his return to Brussels. According to the MP, such rhetoric demonstrates the absence of independent politicians in the EU structures.
“The real center of decision-making is, as in the United States, the ‘deep state’ hidden from prying eyes, which from day to day only strengthens the course of confrontation with Russia,” Elena Panina expressed her opinion.
Before that, commenting on Borrell’s recent statements, the Russian Foreign Ministry also suggested that after returning to Brussels, he probably received instructions on how to highlight accents at the end of his visit. According to representatives of the ministry, this fact confirms “how and by whom the EU policy is actually formed.”
On Monday morning, radio Sputnik reported that Estonian MEP Riho Terras proposed to dismiss Borrell for “mistakes” made during his visit to Russia.