Russia's military build-up around Ukraine is just one of the latest reasons for tension in relations with the EU. Find out more.
The tension in relations between the European Union and Russia has grown steadily over the past decade, suffice it to recall the Kremlin's interference in Ukraine following the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The Moscow government's support for separatists in eastern Ukraine has only exacerbated the situation. Other hostile signals were Russia's disinformation campaign and cyber attacks, not to mention Moscow's attempts to interfere in Western democratic processes.
Ukraine
Following the deployment of Russian troops along the country's borders in December 2021 and January 2022, the EU together with several other Western countries renewed support for Ukraine. In a resolution adopted in December 2021, the European Parliament called on Russia to withdraw its troops on the border with Ukraine, stating that any aggression by Moscow would have a high economic and political price. Members of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) and Subcommittee on Security and Defense (SEAT) will leave for a mission to Ukraine on 30 January 2022.
It is not the first time that Parliament has rejected Russian interference in the country, in support of Ukraine's desire for closer ties with the EU.
In its resolution of April 29, 2021, Parliament expressed grave concerns about the deployment of Russian military forces on the border with Ukraine and in illegally occupied Crimea. MEPs warned that the price for an eventual invasion of Ukraine would be high. MEPs also deplored the involvement of Russian intelligence services in the 2014 explosion of an ammunition depot in the Czechia, reiterating again the demand for the immediate and unconditional release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. On September 15, 2021, Parliament adopted a resolution stating that the EU must reject aggressive policies, laying the foundations for cooperation with a future democratic Russia.
Comentarios