The initiators of fresh EU sanctions have not presented evidence of the designated Russian officials' alleged involvement in the Navalny case, even to their own allies, the Russian permanent representative to the bloc, Vladimir Chizhov, has sai
BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th October, 2020) The initiators of fresh EU sanctions have not presented evidence of the designated Russian officials' alleged involvement in the Navalny case, even to their own allies, the Russian permanent representative to the bloc, Vladimir Chizhov, has said.
On Thursday, the European Union slapped sanctions on six Russian officials, including Federal Security Service chief Alexander Bortnikov, and a scientific institution over the incident with Alexey Navalny. Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the alleged poisoning of the opposition figure.
"As far as we know, those who initiated all this did not provide even their allies with any evidence of these people's links to the story, either at the time of making the relevant decisions by the European Council or before that," Chizhov told Russian journalists.
"All this was based on such flawed logic that, since the initiative of sanctions comes from Germany and France, two heavyweights on whom much depends in the European community, you just need to take it on faith," he went on.
There were still internal disagreements on the issue among those calling for sanctions, the diplomat stated, noting that "it is no coincidence that media first reported about nine individuals targeted by them and then their number was reduced to six."
"The justification for these sanctions, both from a political and legal viewpoint, is very weak, and from a moral viewpoint, it is simply unacceptable," Chizhov said.
The envoy added that these sanctions had "confirmed our worst fears that relations between Russia and the EU will be brought to their lowest level."
