EU High Representative Josep Borrell believes that Russia will not modify its behavioural pattern in the near future, in his opinion, the EU has to factor this in.

"Ultimately, Russia is our biggest neighbour. It will not go away and it is unlikely that in the near future there will be a political change, leading it to modify its behavioural pattern substantially. The EU has to factor this in and develop policies that will enable to reach some form of cohabitation, protecting our interests and values and halting dynamics of escalation," Borrell wrote in his 'How to deal with Russia?' article.

Borrel also noted that the European Council invited the Commission and him to present options for "additional restrictive measures" to be ready in case Russia continues to breach International law in the EU member states.

It was noted that in the report prepared for the EU summit, the European Commission and Borrell proposed to develop their policies on Russia along three main action tracks: to push back, constrain and engage.

"In sum, the European Council conclusions set a clear direction for our relations with Russia: keeping a firm line on substance while preserving the necessity to maintain open channels of communication," the article reads.

Source - vesnikkavkaza.net

30 June 2021 / 10:41