Borrell lashes out at the Kremlin after his trip to Moscow fiasco

Josep Borrell and Sergei Lavrov, last Friday in Moscow, before their meeting. DPA via Europa Press / Europa Press

"It seems that Russia is progressively disconnecting from Europe and sees democratic values ​​as an existential threat."

That is the conclusion of the EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, after the failure of his risky attempt to build bridges with the Vladimir Putin regime in the midst of a storm over the Navalni case.

Borrell assured last night, in a blog entry, that he returned from Moscow "with deep concern about the prospects for the evolution of Russian society and about the geostratetic elections in Russia."

The text reflects both the personal bitterness of the high European official for the trap that his meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, became, as well as the turn of Brussels towards the toughest positions with Moscow, which until now only had partners like Poland and the Baltic countries.

Borrell acknowledges that his meeting with Lavrov "reached a high degree of tension at times," especially after Moscow announced the expulsion of three European diplomats during the visit of the High Representative and without prior notice.

The head of European diplomacy believes that after the brutal shock of his visit "Member States have to decide the next steps and yes, those steps could include sanctions."

For the first time, in addition, Borrell wields the possibility of activating the regulation recently approved by the EU that allows the imposition of sanctions for human rights violations, a regime similar to the Magnitisky law of the United States.

Borrell's visit to Moscow was part of the umpteenth attempt by the EU to rebuild ties with the Putin regime, deteriorating since Russia invaded and annexed Crimea and Sevastopol, until then Ukrainian territory, in 2014.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, who have never completely cut ties with Moscow, especially in the economic area, have been trying for months without success to open a new era of understanding or, at least, of peaceful coexistence with Russia.

"I went to Moscow to see if Russia was interested in facing our differences and reversing the negative trend in our relations," says Borrell in his balance of the most complicated trip so far in his mandate.

"The response I received clearly points in another direction," concludes the High Representative.

Borrell has tried unsuccessfully to combine an offer of dialogue with calls for the release of Alexéi Navalni, the imprisoned opponent, and the demand for respect for human rights and freedoms allegedly violated during the recent demonstrations in some Russian cities.

Lavrov, far from flinching or condoning the criticism, responded harshly during a press conference that, according to Borrell, "was orchestrated aggressively."

The Spaniard defends, despite everything, his decision to have got into the mouth of the wolf, given the importance of Russia for many of the issues that threaten the security of Europe, from Libya to Syria to Iran's nuclear program.

"Closing ourselves in and screaming at others will not bring us greater security," says Borrell in what appears to be a preemptive strike before the plenary of the European Parliament this week, in which harsh criticism of his trip to Moscow can be expected.

"We have to face the challenges, including meeting others on their own playing field," says Borrell after returning from a first leg in which, according to most analysts, he was thrashed by Lavrov.