Sanction Russian officials involved in Navalny poisoning and end Nord Stream 2

The EPP Group urges the Foreign Affairs Ministers of EU Member States to agree on sanctions against all persons involved in the poisoning of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny.

“Russia clearly failed in cooperating to start an international investigation into the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. Therefore we urge the EU Member States to sanction those responsible for this crime. All instigators and perpetrators must be held accountable”, stressed Andrius Kubilius MEP, EPP Group Spokesman on Russia, ahead of today’s meeting of EU Ministers for Foreign Affairs.

"We urge the Council to launch a thorough and strategic reassessment of the EU’s relations with Russia and the five guiding principles. The EU needs a new strategy which will be conditional on further developments. Since the Russian authorities are not cooperating, a common European reaction is needed, including the end of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline”, Kubilius emphasised.

The EPP Group calls for sanctions consisting of the denial of entry into the EU and freezing the financial assets of all officials linked to the attack against the leader of the Russian opposition.

“The case of Mr Navalny is unfortunately not the first and not the last act of violence against political opponents of Mr Putin. It also came and comes in the middle of a widespread crackdown on journalists and dissenting voices in Russia”, recalled Kubilius.