(Brussels) The European Union must send a “message of support” to the Russian opposition after the death of its leader Alexeï Navalny in prison, declared Monday in Brussels the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell.
“We must send a message of support to the Russian opposition,” Mr. Borrell said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers to which the Russian opponent’s wife, Yulia Navalnaïa, was invited.
“In tribute to Navalny and to honor his memory, we will propose to ministers to rename our sanctions regime for respect for human rights with his name,” added Mr. Borrell.
“The main culprit is (Russian President Vladimir) Putin himself,” he stressed.
Several European ministers discussed the implementation of new sanctions against Russia after the death on Friday of President Putin’s main opponent in his prison in the Russian Arctic.
“We will implement new sanctions,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. “This is the minimum we can do,” added his Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis.
“Putin is a murderer. Putin assassinated a person who fought for freedom, for democracy, and this is exactly why we must move forward,” also in our support for Ukraine, declared the Estonian minister. of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna.
And for several ministers, the best way to weaken the Russian president is to help Ukraine, which will enter its third year on Saturday.
“We need to realize what is at stake today. If Ukraine is invaded, if Russia manages to expand, it is a dictatorship that will expand and move a little closer to the European Union,” warned Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja. Lahbib.
“We have to wake up” or risk not “hearing very good news” in the future, Mr. Landsbergis stressed.
The Ukrainians continue to demand more ammunition, shells and missiles to resist the advance of Russian forces, after the withdrawal, announced on Saturday, of Kyiv forces from the town of Avdiïvka, in the east of the country.
When the Ukrainian forces fire one shell, the Russian forces fire six, said the Lithuanian minister for whom “the problem is the ammunition and equipment”, not the “bravery” of the Ukrainian forces.