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The EU has condemned Moscow’s condemned measures, saying it reserves “the right to take appropriate measures in response”.
Russia has listed eight officials from European Union countries, banned from entering the country as revenge for sanctions imposed on Russian citizens.
Russia’s foreign ministry said on Friday that Vera Jourova, vice president of the European Commission’s executive committee for values and transparency, was among those banned; David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament; and Jacques Maire, a member of the French delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
“The European Union continues to pursue a policy to reduce illegitimate, unilateral measures against Russian citizens and institutions,” the ministry said in a statement.
He accused the bloc of “openly and deliberately” undermining Russia’s domestic and foreign policy independence.
“All our proposals for resolving the problems through direct professional dialogue between Russia and the EU have been constantly rejected or rejected,” the ministry added.
In response to the news, Sassoli said the move would not stop EU lawmakers or himself from “defending human rights, freedom and democracy”.
“Apparently, I’m not welcome in the Kremlin? I suspected it for a while … “, he wrote on Twitter.
“Threats will not silence us,” Sassoli said.
Apparently, I’m not welcome in the Kremlin? I suspected for a while … Punishment or fear won’t stop me @Europarl_EN or me from defending human rights, freedom and democracy. Threats will not silence us. As Tolstoy wrote, when there is no truth there is no greatness.
– David Sassoli (@EP_President) April 30, 2021
In a separate statement, Sassoli, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel said they condemned Russia’s “unacceptable” action “in the strongest possible terms” and said it showed Moscow had chosen a path to deal with the bloc. .
“The EU reserves the right to take appropriate measures in response to the decision of the Russian authorities,” they said.
Others banned by Russia
Russia also banned three officials from the Baltic states: Ivars Abolins, president of the Latvian National Council of Electronic Media; Maris Baltins, director of the Latvian State Language Center; and Ilmar Tomusk, head of the Estonian Language Inspectorate.
Blacklisted included Jorg Raupach, Berlin prosecutor and Asa Scott of the Swedish Defense Investigation Agency.
Russian opposition leader Scott Alexey Navalny was said to have been poisoned in Russia last year among officials with a nervous agent from the Soviet era.
Navalny was cured of German poisoning and arrested when he returned to Russia in January. The Kremlin critic was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison the following month for alleged violations of parole, which he said was politically motivated.
The EU imposed sanctions on two Russians accused of harassing gays and lesbians in the Chechen region of southern Russia in March.
Last month, the bloc also imposed sanctions on four senior Russian officials close to President Vladimir Putin.
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