Russia sanctions David Sassoli and seven other EU leaders. The Moscow Foreign Ministry announced the measures in a statement accusing the European Union of “continuing its policy of unilateral unilateral restrictive measures against Russian citizens and organizations”.
“Apparently, am I not welcome in the Kremlin? I had suspected it a little …“tweets the president of the European Parliament David Sassoli. “No sanctions or intimidation will stop the European Parliament or me in the defense of human rights, freedom, democracy. Threats will not silence us. As Tolstoy wrote, there is no greatness if there is no truth”.
In addition to the president of the European Parliament, the following were sanctioned: Vera Jourova, vice president of the EU Commission for values and transparency, Ivars Abolins, president of the National Electronic Media Council of Latvia, Maris Baltins, director of the National Language Center of Latvia, Jacques Maire , member of the French delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Jorg Raupach, head of the Berlin prosecutor’s office, Asa Scott, head of the chemical, biological and nuclear safety laboratory, Total Defense Research Institute, Sweden, and Ilmar Tomusk, head of the Language Department of Estonia.
DI MAIO – As soon as he heard the news of the sanctions decided by the Russian Foreign Ministry, it is reported that the Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio heard the President of the European Parliament Sassoli “to express full solidarity with him”.
The Russian Foreign Ministry accuses the EU of violating “the foundations of international law” and “deliberately fueling anti-Russian hysteria in the Western media”. According to Moscow, all his proposals to resolve the “problematic issues” in bilateral relations would be “systematically ignored or rejected” by the EU.
Therefore, the “real” objective of the EU would be to “curb the development” of Russia “at any cost” and to “impose” the “lopsided” concept of a “value-based world order” which “undermines the law. international “, as well as to” openly challenge the autonomy of Russian internal and foreign policy “, in an” open and deliberate “way.
And, “of course”, with “the encouragement of the US”, which “do not hide the interest in transforming Europe, once again, into an arena of bitter geopolitical confrontation”. Therefore, in light of the targeted EU sanctions of 2 and 22 March 2021, a series of European personalities are declared non-grateful, starting with David Sassoli.
GENTILONI – “Solidarity with David Sassoli, Vera Jourova and other European exponents hit by Russian sanctions. As unjustified as they are useless” says the European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni, via social media.
READ – “The Russian sanctions against the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, an unprecedented act of hostility” then writes the secretary of the Democratic Party, Enrico Letta, on Twitter. “The Democratic Party reacts harshly in defense of European democracy. And we continue to ask even more forcefully for the release of #Navalny”.