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Alexei Navalny PA Images

EU imposes sanctions on Russian officials over poisoning of opposition leader

The decision was agreed upon among the 27 EU envoys to Brussels.

THE EUROPEAN UNION has imposed sanctions on six Russian officials and one organisation over the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny with a Soviet-era nerve agent.

The move came a day after Russia’s foreign minister warned that Moscow might respond with similar measures.

The decision was agreed upon among the 27 EU envoys to Brussels.

Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator and major political opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on 20 August during a domestic flight in Russia.

He was flown to Germany for treatment two days later and is still recovering there.

“The adopted restrictive measures consist of a travel ban to the EU and an asset freeze for individuals, and an asset freeze for the entity,” the EU said in a statement.

The list includes two high level officials in the presidential executive office, a director of the federal security service and two deputy ministers in the Russian defence ministry.

The EU is also targeting the State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology.

EU foreign ministers agreed on Monday to impose the sanctions, following a push by France and Germany to freeze the assets of those suspected of involvement and ban them from travelling in Europe under sanctions to combat the use and spread of chemical weapons.

Last week, tests conducted at labs designated by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirmed that Navalny was poisoned by a Novichok nerve agent.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview on Wednesday that “the Germans are not planning to provide any facts, despite all international and legal obligations.

“We respond in kind. This is diplomatic practice.”

On Tuesday, Lavrov suggested that Moscow might even sever ties.

“We probably simply have to temporarily stop talking to those people in the West who are responsible for foreign policy and don’t understand the need for mutually respectful dialogue,” he said.

Lavrov specifically pointed at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent statements ruling out a partnership with Russia, saying that scenario will play out if that is what the EU wants.

“Russia wants to understand whether it’s possible to do any business with the EU in the current conditions,” he said at a foreign policy conference attended by experts in Moscow.

In a phone call Tuesday with Lavrov, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell insisted that the EU “wishes to maintain open channels of communication with Russia and to enhance cooperation on issues of mutual interest”, according to a statement from Borrell’s office.

Borrell also underlined that Moscow “must do its utmost to investigate this crime thoroughly in full transparency and to fully cooperate” with the OPCW, and that the EU “will continue to defend its interests and values, including respect for international law and fundamental rights”.

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    Mute thebugle
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    Oct 15th 2020, 2:00 PM

    The narrative is always the same on here. Russia/China = Bad. If the Russians wanted rid of him he’d be sleeping with the fishys already. They’re not that inept surely.

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    Mute Adam Sheridan
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    Oct 15th 2020, 2:03 PM

    @thebugle: yeah, not like they had another botched assassination attempt in the UK within the last few years..

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    Mute Fionn Darland
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    Oct 15th 2020, 2:24 PM

    @thebugle: You posting from the Russian embassy?

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Oct 15th 2020, 2:48 PM

    @thebugle: Russia is bad though. Putin poisons or imprisons his political opponents and has been in power for over 20 years. Always some Russian shill trying to deflect.

    EU was right to place sanctions on them.

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    Mute SteoG
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    Oct 15th 2020, 6:26 PM

    @thebugle: If you knew anything at all about Russian history you would not have come out with that statement.

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    Mute Brian James Moss
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    Oct 15th 2020, 2:37 PM

    Putin is the one who gets on my nerves

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    Mute Gavin Lynam
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    Oct 15th 2020, 2:51 PM

    I’m sure he’ll be devastated to hear that from you Brian

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    Mute Jimmy Chickens
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    Oct 15th 2020, 2:27 PM

    Don’t say anything, they’re watching

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    Mute MickN
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    Oct 15th 2020, 2:23 PM

    That’ll teach em…

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    Mute Des Hanrahan
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    Oct 15th 2020, 6:48 PM

    A complete damp squib. Confirms my suspicion that this was a set up, and a pretty inept one at that, aimed at derailing Nord Stream Two. The case presented by Germany was pathetic and could have been easily destroyed by a novice lawyer if it got to court. As the sanctions are so weak Germany cannot have had much support in the EU.

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    Mute Christy Mc Carthy
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    Oct 16th 2020, 12:03 AM

    Will Israel be next

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