EU May Adopt Sanctions Against Russia if the Repression Continues

Because of Navalny’s arrest on his return to Moscow last week, and the massive arrest of protesters, Russia faced much criticism at a diplomatic level.

Josep Borrell, the head of the European Union diplomacy, will travel to Russia in early February to address the issue. The EU discusses the possibility of adopting sanctions if the Russian government keeps repressing the opposition.

Navalny was imprisoned on January 17, on his return to Russia. He has been healing for several months in Germany after his claims of being poisoned by the Kremlin.

Besides, the activist published an investigation in which he claimed that Putin secretly owns a gigantic property on the Black Sea shores valued at $1.4 million.

Taking advantage of its fame, Navalny urged his followers to demonstrate on Saturday. Indeed, several tens of thousands of people took the streets throughout the country. Not only in Moscow but also in other cities. It was one of the biggest protests in recent years in Russia.

More than 3,700 people faced arrest, among them Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya.

Biden raised his concerns about the arrest of Alexei Navalny

Joe Biden, the United States president, had his first telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday.

According to Washington officials, the president questioned Moscow’s actions on three specific issues. They include the arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the massive hacking of public and private entities in the North American country, known as Solar Winds. He also mentioned reports on the offering of rewards Taliban to attack US troops in Afghanistan.

However, it sought to advance in areas with room for cooperation. The parties discussed the five-year extension of the new START treaty, the only agreement through which both powers limit their arsenals. Moscow received the proposal “with pleasure”.

Biden said that both could operate in the interests of their countries under the new START agreement. Simultaneously, it is evident to Russia that the US became concerned about Russia’s behaviour on the three issues mentioned above.

For its part, Moscow published a document focusing on the arms treaty. The Kremlin said the two nations began exchanging documents. This was to advance the new START extension and finish the necessary bureaucratic steps in the coming days.

Minutes later, Moscow published a statement on the call between the two leaders, indicating that Putin expressed his will to normalise bilateral relations. The statement added that it would be favourable to both countries’ interests and the international community as a whole.