Europe prepares sanctions against Russia for Navalny’s poisoning

BRUSSELS-BERLIN – Europe is ready to launch sanctions against Russia for the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. The turning point will take shape tomorrow, with the rotating presidency of the Union, held by Germany, which will bring the proposal to the table of the permanent representatives at the EU. A step agreed and also supported by France. The ambassadors will therefore have a first discussion on the new, politically disruptive, sanctions against Russia that should affect six officials of the Moscow apparatus. Then the ball will pass to the foreign ministers, who will meet next Monday and if there is no significant opposition from any government, the dossier could land directly on the leaders’ table at the summit on October 15 and Brussels.

Europe had threatened sanctions if Russia did not accept an independent investigation into the poisoning of the main opponent of Vladimir Putin. After Moscow has not cooperated and has not accepted an international investigation and after confirmation has arrived on the use of Novichok also by the Organization against chemical weapons (Opac), on the Navalnyj case, Germany and France will propose sanctions to Russia. And Italy, according to qualified sources, is ready to support them despite its traditional caution when it comes to retaliation against Moscow.

A German government source reveals that the idea of ​​blocking the construction of Nord stream 2, the Russian-German gas pipeline, has been abandoned. A move that “would not stand before the courts”, which risks condemning the parties, in short, to very high fines.

In a joint statement, the German foreign minister Heiko Maas and its French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian they recalled that “Russia has not provided any credible explanation regarding the attack on the anti-Putinian opposition leader. Therefore we are convinced that there is no plausible explanation other than Russian involvement and responsibility in Navalnyj’s poisoning ”. Berlin and Paris, the two ministers confirm, will therefore propose sanctions against Moscow “referring to individuals”. According to German government sources, there are six. In the hours in which the heads of the diplomacies of France and Germany attacked Russia, the Farnesina let it be known that the Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on October 14, he will be in Moscow to co-chair the Italian-Russian Council for Economic, Industrial and Financial Cooperation and to meet his counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

The Kremlin has already made it known that it considers the accusations “unacceptable”. Moscow has so far denied any involvement and continues to officially doubt the hypothesis that Navalny was poisoned in Siberia with the nerve agent.

<!–
#subscription-message { background-color:#f1f1f1; padding:48px 16px; display:block; margin:32px 0 16px; border-top:2px solid #f3bb02; border-bottom:2px solid #f3bb02; position:relative;}
#subscription-message p{ font-family:georgia; font-style: italic; font-size:24px; line-height:30px; color:#3c3c3c; margin-bottom:8px;}
.subscription-message_author {font-family:lato; text-transform: uppercase; font-size:14px; text-align:right; display:block; margin-bottom:32px; margin-right:16px; font-weight: bold;}
#subscription-message a{ display:block; width:210px; padding:8px; color:#fff; border-bottom:none; background-color:#e84142; text-align:center; margin:0 auto;border-radius: 3px; font-family:lato,sans-serif; font-size:17px; line-height:24px;-webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 20px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.6);-moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 20px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.6);box-shadow: 0px 0px 20px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.6);}
#subscription-message a:hover{background-color:#db1b1c; border-bottom:none; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.6); -moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.6); box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.6);}