On Wednesday 28 April, many MEPs denounced recent Russian actions, be it with regard to political opponent Alexei Navalny (see EUROPE 12701/2), Russian troop movements on the Ukrainian border (see EUROPE 12701/1), or diplomatic tensions between the Czech Republic and Russia, following allegations of a Russian attack in the Czech Republic in 2014 (see EUROPE 12704/22).
In a plenary debate lasting more than 2 hours, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, did not hide his pessimism. “We cannot rule out that this negative trend will continue and that we will reach even more dangerous levels of deterioration”, he told MEPs. “We are going to face a long and difficult period of confrontation with Russia, and we have to prepare ourselves for that”, he said.
If the EU does not want to fuel a dynamic of escalation, it will not accept bullying tactics and will have to respond to them if they occur, Borrell warned, adding that the Union should “therefore define a modus vivendi that will avoid a permanent confrontation with a neighbour that seems to have decided to act as an adversary”.
In response to Russia’s attitude, many MEPs called on the EU to react more firmly. “The EU and the United States must take note of the fact that the Kremlin’s provocations will not cease, and Russia must be told that it will pay a high price”, said Sandra Kalniete (Latvia) for the EPP.
For Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz (Poland) on behalf of S&D, the EU should not only react, but should be proactive and make it clear that Russia will have to pay a price if it continues on this path. “It is necessary to have a reliable strategy, to seek compromise, but only when Russia is ready for sincere cooperation”, he added.
“The EU must show courage, leadership whenever human rights are violated, we must speak out to Putin (...). We need to act now”, added Dorien Rookmaker (NI, Netherlands).
In a joint resolution to be voted on Thursday 29 April on the Russian actions, MEPs strongly condemn Russia’s “hostile behaviour” in Europe and call on its government to put an end to these activities, “which violate international principles and norms and threaten stability in Europe, thus preventing the pursuit of a positive bilateral agenda with this important neighbour”. MEPs again call for action against Russia.
For the European Parliament, the EU must make it clear that in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, the price would be high. In such a situation, oil and gas imports from Russia to the EU would have to be stopped immediately, Russia would have to be excluded from the SWIFT payment system, and the assets in the EU of oligarchs close to the Russian authorities and their families would have to be frozen and their visas cancelled, warn MEPs. They also call for a European anti-corruption sanctions regime to complement the one on human rights.
MEPs also call on the EU and Member States to prevent the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
EU Member States should act “in a timely and decisive manner” in response to disruptive actions by Russian intelligence services on EU territory, Parliament adds. On Wednesday 28 April, the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office announced that it was gathering evidence on the possible involvement of six Russians in four explosions that occurred between 2011 and 2020 in arms depots in Bulgaria housing ammunition destined for Ukraine and Georgia.
In their resolution, MEPs also call for a new strategic approach to bilateral relations, which should better support civil society, strengthen person-to-person contacts, draw clear red lines for cooperation with Russian state actors, make use of technological standards and the open internet, and show solidarity with the EU’s eastern partners.
See the draft resolution: https://bit.ly/2Py0q4A (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)