Borrell’s ideas deepen EU divisions – Moscow – RT Russia and the former Soviet Union
The bloc’s diplomacy chief offered six points to serve as guidelines for diplomacy towards Russia
The EU policy toward Moscow promoted by foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is only deepening divisions within the bloc, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday.
Earlier this week, the top EU diplomat offered six points to serve as guidelines for diplomacy towards Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.
He described the standoff with Russia as a “geopolitical battle” and insisted that the EU should, among other things, isolate Russia internationally, hold it accountable for its alleged wrongdoings, while cooperating with bloc partners and supporting civil rights groups.
Commenting on Borrell’s proposals, Zakharova said that although he is “too soon” to talk about what this may entail, Moscow “have no illusions” on the bloc’s political thinking. “Unfortunately, the ideas that are sold to EU members by…Borrell do not even contain the slightest trace of the EU’s strategic vision. [regarding Russia].”
“They only work to deepen the… divisions in Europe,” the spokeswoman said, adding that the EU has not offered any measures to solve the numerous problems in the bilateral relations.
While trying to eliminate any alternative views, the EU fully embraced the idea of isolating Russia, Zakharova said, adding that it was “hopeless and will only impose costs on EU countries and their citizens, who are forced to pay out of pocket for the strategic mistakes of their politicians.
“It is emblematic that most of the world’s capitals are not ready to follow… Brussels, which, in its medieval logic, takes the world back to the age of schism, high walls and besieged fortresses”, she says.
His comments come as EU countries face protests over high energy prices and soaring costs of living, which have been made worse by sanctions on Russia. At the end of October, thousands of Czech citizens gathered in Prague to denounce galloping inflation, while calling on the government to start direct talks with Moscow on gas imports.
Hungary, an EU member state, has repeatedly spoken out against the sanctions. Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claimed that they “have failed” and have only backfired on the EU and hurt the economy.
After Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine began in late February, relations between the EU and Russia deteriorated rapidly as Western countries imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow. In June, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov claimed that EU-Russia relations had frayed to the point that it would be difficult to damage them further.
RT
