EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (L) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) are holding a joint press conference after their meeting in Moscow, Russia on February 5, 2021. (Photo by Russian Foreign Ministry / Handout) / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
LONDON (Reuters) – Russia has said it is ready to cut ties with the European Union, according to a fragment of an interview published in the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday morning. The comments point to another increase in tension between the two sides.
Asked if Russia is heading for a break with the European Union, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: “We are going from the fact that we are ready (for that). In the event that we are sanctioned again. “See in some sectors that create risks for our economy, even in the most sensitive areas,” according to a translation of the comments by Reuters.
“We do not want to isolate ourselves from global life, but we must be ready for it. If you want peace, you must prepare yourself for war,” Lavrov added.
Neither the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the European Commission, EU executive was immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC on Friday.
Relations between Russia and the EU reached a new low last week when the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell visited his counterpart in Moscow. It has since been described by analysts as a ‘humiliating’ journey.
Borrell went to express the EU’s opposition to the arrest of Alexei Navalny, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, he accused Russia of compile an ‘aggressively staged press conference’ during his travels.
In comments to the press, Lavrov said that “at least at this stage the EU is not a reliable partner.” Borrell failed to address the comment anger among some European legislators.
In addition, during a meeting with Lavrov via Twitter, Borrell learned that Russia had suspended three EU diplomats for attending demonstrations in support of Navalny.
“An aggressive press conference and the expulsion of three EU diplomats during my visit indicate that the Russian authorities did not want to take this opportunity to engage in a more constructive dialogue with the EU,” Borrell said two days later. said his comments in a blog post. travel.
As a result, he suggested that the EU impose a new sanction on Russia – a decision to be approved by European governments.
This would not be the first time that Russian companies and individuals have been approved by the EU. Their relationship has since deteriorated significantly Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, but ultimately their ties are very important to both given their shared economic, energy and strategic interests.
Analysts told CNBC that the latest differences between Moscow and the EU could put pressure on the gas pipeline being built from Russia to Germany, Nord Stream 2.
The project has been sharply criticized, including by the United States, which has imposed sanctions on companies working on the pipeline – a view that the new US president, Joe Biden, has shown no indication of change.