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  • EU foreign ministers are meeting to discuss whether to slap fresh sanctions on Russia over the jailing of opposition leader.

  • Election of only the use pushed to punish the Kremlin follows what some called a disastrous trip to Moscow earlier this month by the blocks foreign policy chief You separate.

  • The EU's top diplomat insisted he had to find out face to face the Kremlin's views on relations with the bloc.

  • European Union at this stage is an unreliable partner.

  • Russia expelled three U diplomats while Burrell was there, which he admits he only learned from social media after heavy criticism for his passive performance Next toe, Lavrov's laceration of the U.

  • Burrell says he's now convinced Russian authorities are not interested in rapprochement.

  • The answer has been clear.

  • No, they are not that led barrel to promise concrete proposals on tougher measures.

  • They will be for the member states to decide the next step.

  • But yes, this could include sanctions.

  • You already has a wide range of sanctions on Russian individuals and entities related, for example, to Moscow's illegal 2014 annexation of Crimea for supporting separatist activities in eastern Ukraine and for involvement in the August poisoning of Alexey Navalny.

  • But the subsequent jailing of Navalny after his return to Russia, as well as police brutality against pro navalny protesters, has you governments pressing for harsher measures.

  • Now Lithuania has led that call.

  • Those should be personal sanctions.

  • Those should be sanctions on the entities, which has to do with repressions against opposition.

  • A letter signed by almost 170 politicians, academics and activists this week urges you leaders to use the new human rights sanctions mechanism, known as the European Magnitsky Act, to target the Nord Stream two pipeline project and to include the Russian president's wealthy inner circle.

  • That last option, says former EU diplomat David Stool IQ, would be a game changer.

  • Russia might then realize that the you also has these red lines and cannot be pushed beyond them on.

  • That would be a kind of a surprise for Russians, because finally they would see that their bluff policy, uh, doesn't work anymore.

  • It's unclear how close to the Kremlin penalties will come this time around.

  • You officials say it's hard to prove oligarchs personally finance human rights abuses.

  • Russia is threatening to cut ties with the EU.

  • It's any new sanctions go forward with Lavrov warning.

  • Russia wants peace but is prepared for war well ahead of the EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, German Foreign Minister Heikal Moss gave his backing to New Russia sanctions here in Brussels today.

  • We will discuss whether to order the imposition of new sanctions on Russia, in particular as a result of the conviction of Alexei Navalny on the fact that he has to serve his sentence in a penal colony.

  • E I am in favor of ordering the preparation of additional sanctions listing specific individuals.

  • Let's bring in our Brussels bureau chief Alexandra Phenomenon.

  • Hi Alexandra, What kind of measures are we likely to see hear and against him?

  • The European Union is likely to impose travel bans and asset freezes against individuals that are believed to be directly involved in Aleksei Navalny's conviction and incarceration on the U.

  • S.

  • Also expected to use.

  • It's a new sanctions regime that allows the block to go after human rights abusers.

  • So we probably talking about people in judiciary prosecutors, judges for the European Union, it is important to make sure that they have a clear evidence that those individuals were directly responsible for Alexei Navalny's incarceration so that sanctions against them cannot be overturned in court.

  • But these sanctions would require unanimous unanimous support.

  • Is that likely?

  • Yes.

  • Uh um it seems that all ministers, all member states, are on board, even Russia friendly countries.

  • Uh, like, for example, hungry Germany, as we just heard, is also supporting further sanctions.

  • Uh, even though the German foreign Minister said that Germany is still still would like Thio to try ways to make it possible to work with Russia on international issues.

  • So dealing with Russia is definitely a balancing act.

  • Let's have a listen to what the German foreign minister had to say A same time.

  • We have to look for ways to maintain a dialogue with Moscow Way need Russia to solve many international conflicts.

  • So one question that will have to occupy us is how is it possible to maintain a constructive dialogue with Russia?

  • Even the relations between the EU and Russia are certainly at an all time low at the moment.

  • The solution.

  • I'm chief punk angle acted Alexander.

  • We heard of their maintained dialogue, but Russia is threatening to break off ties with the EU.

  • Is that a threat that Brussels needs to take seriously well, I think that Brussels takes it seriously.

  • But Brussels also knows that Russia cannot be actually interested, really seriously interested in breaking off ties with the European Union and Russia's foreign minister.

  • Lavrov has already soft in his tone, saying that sanctions won't prevent Russia from deepening investment partnerships with EU member states.

  • UH member states account for more than 40% off Russia's trade turnout and of course it's possible that Russia could decide to break off ties with the EU institutions.

  • But how can you maintain good relations with EU member states if you don't have any relations with the European Union with the European Commission, for example so well, we'll have to wait and see how Russia is really going to react to those expected new sanctions, Our Brussels bureau chief Alexandra Fundament reporting on the very latest there.

EU foreign ministers are meeting to discuss whether to slap fresh sanctions on Russia over the jailing of opposition leader.

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