Russian President Vladimir Putin will have to “be held accountable” after the death of Alexeï Navalny, the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell said on X, after meeting the widow of the Russian opponent who died in prison.
“We expressed the EU's deepest condolences to Yulia Navalnaïa,” added Josep Borrell, reporting on the intervention of Alexeï Navalny's widow before the EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.
We expressed the EU's deepest condolences to Yulia Navalnaya
Vladimir Putin & his regime will be held accountable for the death of Alexei @navalny
As Yulia said, Putin is not Russia.
Russia is not Putin
We will continue our support to Russia's civil society & independent media pic.twitter.com/LbXNerR9nI
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) February 19, 2024
“Vladimir Putin and his regime will be held accountable for the death of Alexei Navalny,” he added.
But, “as Loulia said, Russia is not Putin and Putin is not Russia,” Josep Borrell said.
“Navalny regime”
At the same time, Josep Borrell proposed “EU Member States to rename our global human rights sanctions regime to the “Navalny regime” to “honor his memory”.
I am proposing to EU Member States to rename our Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime the "Navalny Regime".
To honor his memory, for his name to be written on the work of the EU in the defense of human rights around the world.
pic.twitter.com/yIGfpcDWBE
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) February 19, 2024
The ministers stood up and applauded the widow of the Russian opponent for a long time at the end of her brief speech, according to a European diplomat.
According to several of them, Yulia Navalnaïa reaffirmed her commitment to continuing the fight of her husband, Vladimir Putin's main opponent until his death on Friday in a prison in the Russian Arctic, as she had affirmed earlier in a video released Monday.
“Alexeï Navalny was a hero and he died a hero,” she also said, according to her words reported by a European diplomat.
She also demanded that the European Union target more of Vladimir Putin's entourage and "the corrupt oligarchs" who support him, according to this source.
New sanctions against Russia?
Several European ministers said they were in favor of new sanctions against Russia upon their arrival in Brussels on Monday.
“We will implement new sanctions,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
“This is the minimum we can do,” added his Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis.
The EU has already sanctioned Russia several times, with 12 packages of measures, and is preparing to adopt a thirteenth on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Read alsoDeath of Alexeï Navalny: transport to the morgue, cause, location of the body… These remaining questions
“Putin is a murderer.
Putin murdered a person who fought for freedom, for democracy, and this is exactly why we must move forward, also in our support for Ukraine, Estonian Foreign Minister said , Margus Tsahkna.
And for several ministers, the best way to weaken the Russian president is to help Ukraine, which will enter its third year on Saturday.
“We need to realize what is at stake today.
If Ukraine is invaded, if Russia manages to expand, it is a dictatorship that will expand and move a little closer to the European Union,” warned Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja. Lahbib.