Entry bans for EU representatives
Russia reacts to “absurd” policy from Brussels
01/28/2022, 6:55 p.m
The US and the EU are threatening Russia with economic sanctions if the country invades Ukraine. The Kremlin is now reacting according to the “principle of reciprocity and equality” and is imposing entry bans on EU representatives.
Russia has imposed travel bans on several representatives from the European Union. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said it was a reaction to an “absurd” policy of “unilateral restrictions” from Brussels. The entry bans primarily affect representatives of some EU countries “who are personally responsible for the propagation of anti-Russian policies”.
“Guided by the principle of reciprocity and equality,” the Russian side decided to extend a list of representatives of EU member states and institutions who are banned from entering Russia, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The measure comes against the background of the Ukraine conflict, which is increasing tensions between Brussels and Moscow.
The US and the EU have threatened Russia with massive economic sanctions if the country invades Ukraine. According to US information, Moscow has raised around 100,000 troops, tanks and other military equipment on the border with the neighboring country. The government in Moscow denies attack plans and demands, among other things, written commitments that NATO will refrain from further eastward expansion.
De-escalation of the situation in the distant future
In the tense Ukraine conflict, a de-escalation of the situation seems a long way off. French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin have now discussed possible ways to get there. In order to reduce tensions, bilateral talks between the heads of state should be continued – as well as the negotiations to solve the Ukraine crisis in the Normandy format, in which Germany and France mediate.
In the conversation, Putin reiterated Russian demands for binding guarantees for security in Europe, as the Kremlin announced. Putin also said that Russia is now analyzing the written responses from the US and NATO to his proposals and then determining further steps. Both the Russian and the French said that Putin had again insisted on fulfilling Kiev’s obligations in the Minsk peace agreement and pointed out the planned special status for the breakaway eastern Ukrainian regions in the Donbass. Macron, on the other hand, pointed out with regard to Ukraine that Russia must recognize the sovereignty of all European states.