Russia is poised for a split with the European Union as the EU imposes new crippling sanctions amid a dispute over the treatment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the country’s top diplomat warned Friday.
In response to a question about Moscow’s willingness to cut ties with the EU, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in televised remarks that Russia does not want to be isolated, but needs to increase its self-reliance to cope with potential EU sanctions.
“We don’t want to be isolated from international life, but we have to be ready,” Lavrov said. “If you want peace, you must prepare for war.”
In this photo, taken Friday, February 12, 2021 and made available by the Babuskinsky District Court, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is in a cage during a defamation hearing in the Babuskinsky District Court in Moscow, Russia. (Babuskinsky District Court Press Service via AP)
Asked whether Russia is heading for a split with the European Union, Lavrov replied, “We assume we are ready for that.”
He stressed the importance of economic ties with the 27 EU countries and added that Russia would continue to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation. At the same time, Lavrov said, Russia must prepare for the worst and increasingly rely on its own resources.
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“ We have to achieve that in the economic field, if we see again, as we have felt more than once, that sanctions imposed in some areas pose risks to our economy, including in the most sensitive areas, such as parts supply and components, ”added the Russian Foreign Minister.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Russia wants to maintain normal ties with the EU, but must prepare for the worst if the bloc takes hostile action.
In this photo, released by the Russian Foreign Ministry press service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks at a meeting in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, February 10, 2021. (Press service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)
“If we are faced with a destructive course that will harm our infrastructure and our interests, Russia must be ready in advance for such unfriendly steps,” Peskov said during a telephone conversation with reporters when asked about Lavrov’s comment. “We must be self-reliant. We must ensure our security in the most sensitive strategic areas and be prepared to replace anything that could be robbed of us with national infrastructure in the event of insanity and such unfriendly actions occur.”
European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said on Friday that the EU welcomes “mutually beneficial cooperation when the other side is ready for such cooperation and for such a dialogue,” adding that Russia “has indicated that they are not really be willing to go in this direction. “
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German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Andrea Sasse described Lavrov’s comments as “truly disturbing and completely incomprehensible to us”. She told reporters in Berlin that Foreign Minister Heiko Maas had made clear Germany’s grievances with Russia, but also stressed that “we are interested in working with Russia.”
Relations between Russia and the EU have fallen to new lows due to the arrest and imprisonment of Navalny. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent political enemy was arrested on January 17 upon his return from Germany, where he recovered for five months from the nerve poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin. The Russian authorities have denied the allegations.
In this photo released by the press service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy greet Josep Borrell, wearing a face mask to protect against the coronavirus, each other prior to their conversations. in Moscow, Russia, Friday, February 5, 2021. (Press service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)
Last week, a Moscow court sent Navalny to prison for two years and eight months for violating the terms of his probation while he was recovering in Germany. The probation stemmed from a 2014 embezzlement conviction that Navalny dismissed as fabricated and declared illegal by the European Court of Human Rights.
Navalny was back in court on Friday on charges of defaming a World War II veteran who was featured in a video last year promoting constitutional changes that allowed an extension of Putin’s rule. Navalny called the people in the video “corrupt stooges”, “people with no conscience” and “traitors”. He dismissed the libel charges as part of the Kremlin’s efforts to discredit him and could face a fine or community service if convicted.
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Josep Borrell, head of the European Union’s foreign policy, said after a visit to Russia last week that the 27-country bloc must take a firm stance in its relations with Russia and consider new sanctions in the wake of Navalny’s imprisonment. While Borrell was meeting with Lavrov, Moscow announced the expulsion of diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden for attending protests in support of Navalny.
The three EU countries responded similarly on Monday and each expelled a Russian diplomat.
In this photo released by the press service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, welcomes Josep Borrell to attend a joint press conference live after their talks in Moscow, Russia, Friday. , February 5, 2021. (Press service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)
Borrell has said he plans to submit proposals for possible actions against Russia when he presides over the next meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers on Feb. 22.
Navalny’s arrest sparked a wave of protests across Russia that lured tens of thousands of people into the streets in the biggest show of discontent in years. Authorities responded with a large-scale crackdown, detaining about 11,000 people across Russia. Many protesters were fined or sentenced to seven to 15 days in prison.
The United States and the European Union have urged Russia to release Navalny and end the crackdown on the protests. The Kremlin has accused them of meddling in Russia’s internal affairs and said it would not listen to Western criticism of Navalny’s conviction and police actions against his supporters.
Lavrov accused the West of pursuing “aggressive control of Russia” to punish the country for its independent foreign policy.
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“The sanctions would not work. They would not change our course of defending our national interests,” Lavrov said.