RUSSIA READY FOR BREAKUP WITH EU IF SANCTIONS OVER NAVALNY ARREST IMPOSED

Fri 12 February 2021:

Moscow is ready to break ties with the European Union if it follows through on its plan to impose sanctions, Russia’s foreign minister said on Friday.

In an interview on the Soloviev Live YouTube channel, Sergey Lavrov said Russia has no desire to be isolated from the world but needs to be prepared for any eventuality.

He emphasized the importance of economic ties with the 27 EU nations, adding that Russia would continue engaging in mutually beneficial cooperation. At the same time, Lavrov said, Russia must prepare for the worst and increasingly rely on its own resources.

To a question on whether Russia is heading towards a breakup with the bloc, Lavrov said: “We believe that we are ready; if we see once again, as we already have more than once, that sanctions are being imposed in some areas that create risks for our economy, including the most sensitive areas.”

“We do not want to be isolated from global life, but we must be prepared for this. If you want peace, then prepare for war,” he asserted.

Lavrov’s remarks follow news reports on Thursday that the EU has started working on proposed sanctions against Russia over the conviction of opposition politician Alexey Navalny.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that Russia wants to maintain normal ties with the EU but needs to prepare for the worst, if the bloc takes hostile actions.

“If we face a destructive course that will hurt our infrastructure, our interests, Russia must be ready in advance for such unfriendly steps,” Peskov said during a call with reporters when asked about Lavrov’s comment. “We must be self-reliant.

We must ensure our security in the most sensitive strategic areas and be prepared to replace everything we could be deprived of with national infrastructure in case madness prevails and such unfriendly actions take place.”

According to the reports, representatives of EU member states discussed possible measures against Moscow at a closed meeting on Feb. 10, and no one opposed the plan.

Last week, a court in Moscow sent Navalny to prison for two years and eight months for violating terms of his probation while recuperating in Germany. The probation stemmed from a 2014 embezzlement conviction that Navalny has rejected as fabricated and the European Court of Human Rights has ruled to be unlawful.

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