Published 16:10 IST, February 6th 2021
European leaders condemn Russia's move to suspend diplomats over Navalny protests
Germany, Poland and France have condemned Russia’s decision to expel diplomats from 3 European countries over their participation in protests against Navalny.
Germany, Poland and France have condemned Russia’s decision to expel diplomats from three European countries over their participation in protests against the imprisonment of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic, Navalny, was jailed this week for almost three years for parole violations he calls trumped-up. Navalny was arrested on January 17 on his return from treatment in Germany where he was flown after falling ill from what German officials concluded was poisoning.
Speaking in Paris and Berlin after a virtual meeting on security policy and cooperation, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron jointly slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin over his treatment of Navalny. Merkel on February 5 called the expulsion "unjustified", adding it just goes on to show Russia is far away from rule of law. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also warned that if Russia does not reconsider its step it will face consequences.
"Russia's decision to expel several EU diplomats, including an employee from the Moscow embassy, is in no way justified and further damages relations with Europe. Should Russia do not reconsider this step, it will not go unanswered," Maas wrote on Twitter.
Macron also took Germany’s stance and said that he was “completely in line and in solidarity with his EU counterpart on the issue. He condemned “most firmly” Russia’s decision to expel the European diplomats. He said, “I condemn in the strongest terms, from beginning to end, what has happened here — from the poisoning [of Navalny] to ... the expulsion of diplomats”. Further, Macron added that dialogue with Moscow was still important for “peace, security and stability” in Europe.
In a separate statement, the Polish Foreign Ministry said that it had summoned Russia’s ambassador to Warsaw after Russia said it was expelling diplomats from Poland, German and Sweden. The foreign ministry said that the decision will contribute to the further deepening of the crisis in the bilateral relations between the two countries. The ministry also added that the diplomat in question was working at the Polish consulate in Saint Petersburg and expressed “regret” and “concern” over the move.
Moreover, the European Union has condemned Russia's decision to expel the diplomats for participating in protests. "I strongly condemned this decision and rejected the allegations that they conducted activities incompatible with their status as foreign diplomats. The decision should be reconsidered," EU Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said in a statement on the day he attended a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Diplomats asked to leave Russia
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry said that the diplomats have been asked to leave the country because they took part in "unlawful" rallies on January 23, when tens and thousands of people poured on the streets of Moscow and other cities across Russia to protest against Navalny's detention. The Russian Foreign Ministry has designated the diplomats as "persona non grata", meaning they no longer enjoy diplomatic immunity.
Russia is currently facing the wrath of the international community, particularly the West, over the sentencing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The international community, including the European Union and the United States, are demanding the immediate release of Navalny and are asking Russia to respect the rights of those protesting over his detention.
Updated 16:10 IST, February 6th 2021