Borrell: EU to Impose New Sanctions against Russia within Week

The foreign ministers of the 27 member states of the European Union made a political decision to impose new sanctions against those responsible for the arrest of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Sanctions will be finalised within a week, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said.

“In response to events around the situation of Mr. Navalny, we reached a political agreement to impose restrictive measures against those responsible for his arrest, sentencing and persecution. I hope it will happen soon. I hope that the process will take no longer than a week,” he said.

Borrell also said that the EU foreign ministers had decided to view Russia as a neighbour acting as an adversary.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation has already reacted to the decision of the Council of the European Union, calling it “disappointing.” In addition, the Russian Federation considers “categorically unacceptable” demands for the release of opposition leader Navalny, who was “convicted of economic crimes under Russian law.”

Natalia Tolub