EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (L) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) will hold a joint press conference following their meeting in Moscow, Russia on February 5, 2021 (Photo by Russian Ministry from Foreign Affairs / Handout / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
LONDON – A recent press conference between the top EU diplomat and the veteran of the Russian Foreign Minister has shown that diplomatic ties have fallen to new lows, leaving some analysts wondering if the “humiliating” trip could have further political ramifications to have.
Josep Borrell, head of EU foreign policy, visited Moscow on Friday to voice the EU’s opposition to the arrest of Alexei Navalny, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Borrell, however, failed to dismiss his Russian counterpart’s comments when he stood next to him at the press conference. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had claimed that the EU was an “unreliable partner”.
In addition, during his visit, Borrell learned via Twitter that Russia had expelled three EU diplomats for attending demonstrations in support of Navalny.
“My meeting with Minister Lavrov emphasized that Europe and Russia are drifting apart. It seems that Russia is increasingly disconnecting from Europe,” Borrell said in a blog post two days after the press conference. He described it as “a very complicated visit to Moscow”.
“The EU does not have a good Russia strategy.”
Jade McGlynn
researcher, Henry Jackson Society
His controversial trip was so poorly received that a group of 73 European lawmakers said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen “must take action if Borrell does not resign of his own accord”. In a joint letter, they said that Borrell had “failed to stand up for the interests and values of the European Union during his visit”, causing “serious damage to the reputation of the EU”.
The ties between the EU and Russia have long been divided, but their ties are crucial given their shared economic, energy and strategic interests.
Jade McGlynn, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society think tank, described the relationship between the EU and Russia as “cold flammable” after Borrell’s trip to Moscow. “The EU does not have a good Russia strategy. There is no point in having a reset with Russia if Russia does not want to,” she said.
‘Very disappointing’ for the ties between the US and the EU
Prior to 2014, both sides had sought to improve their links with trade, energy and counter-terrorism, among others. In this regard, the EU supported Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization, which was finalized in 2012.
However, Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March 2014 was a turning point in their relationship. The EU opposed the move and, as a result, imposed sanctions on Russian individuals and companies.
Their ties were further disrupted by the Russian intervention in the long-running war in Syria and other conflicts in the Middle East. In addition, several constitutional reforms in Russia have also raised concern among European officials, including one that allows Putin to remain in power beyond his current mandate.
“Their relationship has always been challenging,” Ian Lesser, vice president at The German Marshall Fund of the United States, told CNBC, pointing out that ties are now “deteriorating on multiple fronts.”
As a result, Lesser expects “more pressure on the Nord Stream (project), including from Washington DC”
Nord Stream 2 is a natural gas pipeline that goes from Russia to Germany and when completed, would double the flow of energy sources between the two, Deutsche Welle said.
The project has been harshly criticized, including by the United States, which has imposed sanctions on companies working on the pipeline – a view that the new US presidency does not want to change overnight. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Joe Biden’s government is against the project.
Some European lawmakers also believe that Nord Stream 2 should be discontinued in response to Russia’s poisoning of Navalny. Before Navalny returned to Russia last month, Navalny in Germany was on the mend after narrowly surviving what has since been independently confirmed as Novichok nerve agent poisoning in August. 20. The Kremlin denies that Navalny has been poisoned.
“I imagine it is very disappointing” for the US to attend Friday’s press conference in Moscow, McGlynn said on the phone. She added that the US is probably wondering “do we have a reliable partner who can take on Russia?”