France and Germany to propose EU sanctions against Russia over Navalny’s poisoning
Germany and France are planning to share proposals for additional sanctions against Russia with their European partners, in response to the poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny. This was announced in a joint statement from the two countries on Wednesday, October 7.
“France and Germany have repeatedly called on Russia to fully investigate the circumstances of this crime and to account for the perpetrators. No credible explanation has been provided by Russia so far. In this context, we consider that there is no other plausible explanation for Mr Navalny’s poisoning than a Russian involvement and responsibility,” the statement says.
According to the joint statement, the proposed sanctions will target individuals deemed responsible for involvement in the poisoning and for breaching international legal norms.
Two diplomatic sources told Reuters that the sanctions list will include a number of GRU military officials. The proposed sanctions are set to be discussed at the European Union foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled for next week.
On October 6, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed that Navalny was poisoned with a cholinesterase inhibitor resembling a Novichok-type nerve agent. Earlier, Germany’s Foreign Ministry stated that international confirmation of Navalny’s poisoning would make sanctions against Russia inevitable.
The leaders of EU member states are set to discuss the situation surrounding Navalny’s poisoning at a summit on October 15–16.
Read more about Navalny’s poisoning
- OPCW confirms that Navalny was poisoned with a toxin resembling Novichok not included under its existing bans
- Technical assistance How Navalny’s poisoning could prompt the OPCW to carry out an emergency inspection in Russia
- Not worth it Russia asks the EU nine questions about Navalny’s poisoning, arguing that he’s too unpopular to warrant assassination and, hey, maybe his own colleagues are responsible
Navalny’s poisoning
On August 20, Alexey Navalny became violently ill aboard a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. Pilots made an emergency landing in Omsk, where he was hospitalized and immediately placed in a medically induced coma. Two days later, he was transferred to Berlin for treatment. German specialists later concluded that he had been exposed to a Novichok-class nerve agent. Russian officials maintain that they have no evidence that Navalny was poisoned. He regained consciousness on September 7 and was discharged from the hospital on September 22. His full rehabilitation is expected to take several more weeks.