In a series of debates with EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep BORRELL during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs comment on the situation in Russia and the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. A resolutions will be put to the vote.

Brussels

debate

plenary session

EU - Russia (T)

GAHLER, Michael (EPP, DE)

PIRI, Kati (S&D, NL)

BORRELL FONTELLES, Josep (PSE, ES, EC)

GUETTA, Bernard (Renew, FR)

LAGODINSKY, Sergey (Greens/EFA, DE)

Situation in Russia, the poisoning of Alexei Navalny: extracts from the debate

As confirmed by Germany, French and Swedish laboratories found out he was poisoned with Novichok. This is just the latest example of such poisoning. And it's quite clear who bears political responsibility. The occupant of the Kremlin.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, We condemn in the strongest possible terms this assassination attempt, that is the word we have to use, assassination attempt.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, There is now irrefutable evidence that a nerve agent of the Novichok group, similar to the one used on the assassination attempt of Sergei [Skripal] and also on Yulia Skripal on the past March 2018 was used to try to assassinate Mr. Navalny. 

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), As confirmed by Germany, French and Swedish laboratories found out he was poisoned with Novichok. This is just the latest example of such poisoning. And it's quite clear who bears political responsibility. The occupant of the Kremlin.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kati PIRI (S&amp;D, NL), Navalny was poisoned with a chemical nerve agent to which only the Russian military and intelligence agencies have access. So no need for us to do a guessing game who bears responsibility. Demanding a real investigation by the Kremlin is, we can say from experience wishful thinking. It won't happen just as it never happened with the other poisonings.

SOUNDBITE (French), Bernard GUETTA (RE, FR), So, yes, Mr. Putin, you are right to be afraid and before it's too late and troubles shake your country with something worst than this poisoning, find a commitment in Belarus, withdraw from Ukraine, give freedom back to the Russian people and allow them to breathe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sergey LAGODINSKY (Greens/EFA, DE), We want a strategic partnership with Russia, but we want this strategy to be a strategy toward democracy, towards civil rights, a strategy for people and not for corrupt Russian elites and not for a gas project to undermine our neighbours. Not for a nuclear plant in Hungary. Not a strategy on how to harbour assets of corrupt individuals in the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Anna FOTYGA (ECR, PL), It is time to stop Putin's impunity. It is time to impose a broader sectoral sanctions. Let us start with stopping Nord Stream 2.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Idoia VILLANUEVA RUIZ (GUE/NGL, ES), We are still tied up to the past centuries alliances.Ukraine illustrate that example. We refuse to build our own and independent external policy. We contribute to escalate tensions that do not contribute to pave the way for a more secure European Union. We need to build fair trade partnerships, we need to denounce human rights violations. In this sense, to promote peace and human rights begins by changing our neighbourhood policy.