DISINFO: Sanctions against Russia are a gesture of Western despair
SUMMARY
We see sanctions against Russia more and more as a gesture of despair due to the inability of local elites to accept new realities, to abandon the stereotypes of "bloc thinking", to recognise Russia's right to independently determine its way of development and build relationships with its partners. They seem to find it difficult to put up with the obvious successes of the Russian economy, the increase in its international competitiveness, the expansion of the presence of high-quality Russian goods and services on world markets.
The measures introduced against Russia will undoubtedly have a negative impact on the relations of the Russian side with the “collective West”. They undermine mutual trust and also darken the prospects for their normalisation.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about about allegedly unfounded sanctions against Russia. The EU sanctions against Russia are not a manifestation of despair. They were adopted as a reaction to the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the deliberate destabilisation of Ukraine.
Sanctions against Russia are linked not only to events in Ukraine. New sanctions were implemented after the poisoning with banned chemical weapons of prominent Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, they are targeted against individuals and organisations involved in the crime.
During the Foreign Affairs Council, 22 February 2021, the ministers agreed to proceed with work on future restrictive measures in response to serious violations of human rights.
In response to the events around the situation of Mr. Navalny we reached a political agreement to impose restrictive measures against those responsible for his arrest, sentencing and persecution. For the first time ever we will make use of the EU Global Human Rights Regime to this end. Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
They also agreed to increase support to all those engaged in the country in defending the political and civil freedoms.
EU-Russia relations have been strained since 2014 because of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, support for rebel groups in eastern Ukraine, policies in the neighbourhood, disinformation campaigns and negative internal developments. Tensions have also grown over Russian intervention in Syria, Libya and sub-Saharan Africa. The EU has regularly renewed sanctions against Russia since 2014.
More about Western sanctions can be read here.
See other similar cases: Sanctions are a childish reaction of the EU; New sanctions on Russia humiliate the EU; The West needs a cause to sanction Russia, if there isn’t one, they will invent it.