The European Union wants to build constructive relations with Russia, but Moscow's aggressive actions prevent this from happening, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th December, 2021) The European Union wants to build constructive relations with Russia, but Moscow's aggressive actions prevent this from happening, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.
"We would rather engage constructively with Moscow but it depends on them and currently its Russia's deliberate choices and aggressive actions that continue to destabilize security in Europe," von der Leyen said at the EU Ambassadors Conference.
She noted that the bloc will respond appropriately to any "further aggressions" from Russia, including what the EU perceives as breaches of international law or malicious actions against its members or allies, such as Ukraine.
The response will take the form of "robust scaling up and expansion of existing sanctions regimes," as well as additional restrictive measures, according to the EC head.
Over the past few weeks, Western countries have expressed concern about Russia's alleged military activity on the border with Ukraine, with some accusing Moscow of preparing an invasion.
Moscow, in turn, has repeatedly denied accusations of aggressive actions, saying that it is threatening no one and does not intend to attack anyone. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also noted that Russia is moving troops within its own territory and at its discretion. In addition, the Kremlin has stressed that all statements about alleged Russia's aggression are being used as an excuse to deploy more NATO military equipment toward Russian borders.
