“Politics not related to real facts”: the EU extended sanctions against Russians in the Skripals case for a year

The EU extended sanctions against four Russians allegedly involved in the Salisbury incident for a year. The corresponding decision was made by the Council of Europe following a meeting in Luxembourg.

“Today, the Council extended the EU restrictive measures introduced in connection with the use and proliferation of chemical weapons until October 16, 2020. These sanctions, which include a ban on entering the EU and freezing the assets of both individuals and organizations, are currently applied to nine people: five related to the Syrian regime and four involved in the Salisbury attack, ”the statement says. CE press service statement.

Recall that these sanctions were introduced in January. They are imposed on "GRU employees" - two employees of the department, the head and his deputy. According to the EU, they are allegedly “responsible for the storage, transportation and use of the poisonous nerve agent in Salisbury on March 4, 2018.”

In March 2018, ex-GRU officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia were discovered unconscious at their home in British Salisbury. After hospitalization, the British authorities said that Skripale had been poisoned with the Novichok combat substance (A-234 . - RT ).

Moreover, London accused Moscow of what happened. According to the British authorities, the Russian special services poisoned the former intelligence officer and his daughter. However, evidence in support of these statements was not provided. Despite this, a number of Western countries recalled their diplomatic staff, and the United States imposed sanctions altogether, moreover in two packages.

Moscow emphasized that several countries have access to the production of the A-234 called by the British side. As noted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the so-called Skripal case is used for anti-Russian politics.

“This is a politicized Russophobic approach, it is just an excuse to organize another attack on Russia. They didn’t come up with anything else, for me it’s obvious. But the goal is only one: to restrain the development of Russia as a possible competitor. That's all, I don’t see other goals, ”he said.

The European side itself is not sure of the charges against the Russians, Oleg Morozov, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, said in an interview with RT.

“If they accuse a terrible crime, then what are the sanctions? There should be a criminal prosecution with corresponding consequences, and it should not be about sanctions, if you imagine the gravity of the deed. And when it comes to sanctions, it looks strange, ”said the senator. - Obviously, the punishment with the deed is disproportionate. They have no confidence that they are acting reasonably and logically. ”

If Russia is allowed to investigate, it will be quickly exposed, Adalbi Shkhagoshev, member of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, is convinced.

“As soon as Russia becomes a full member of the commission that is engaged in the investigation, it will be a full disclosure, all cards will be revealed. The special services of Russia work quite efficiently and professionally, they are ready to do it openly. As soon as they join the investigation, it will be a defeat for the special services and for politics (Great Britain. - RT ), ”he told RT.

“Continue to invent stories and myths”

It is worth noting that, despite the Russian citizenship of Skripals, the British authorities did not provide the diplomatic representatives of the Russian Federation with consular access to them, provided for by international law. Moscow also repeatedly offered its assistance in the investigation, but was refused.

According to the Russian side, London used the Salisbury incident to blame Moscow, without presenting any facts confirming this point of view.

“Nearly a year and a half after the events in Salisbury with the former Russian military intelligence officer and his daughter, the Russian side never received any intelligible information about the investigation of the incident from official London (and this despite the more than 80 requests we sent through diplomatic channels),” - said in an August message from the Russian Embassy in London.

“Trying to fill this vacuum, the British stubbornly continue to invent various stories and myths, passing them off as confirmed facts,” the diplomats emphasized.

At the same time, the lack of evidence necessary for the accusations against Russia was reported in the British police. Scotland Yard deputy head Neil Basu said in an interview with The Guardian that the voiced versions were based on statements by “Russian experts,” not facts.

“We are police officers, so we need to work with evidence. There were many hypotheses about who was responsible, who gave orders - all this was based on expert estimates in Russia. I need to have evidence, ”he said.

The Skripals case is used by Europe as an excuse to impose sanctions, and therefore the EU does not justify them with facts, Dmitry Solonnikov, director of the Institute for Contemporary State Development, explained in an interview with RT.

“The sanction policy has nothing to do with the facts to which it turns. Sanctions are a new world in which we live, and in this regard, the reason for imposing sanctions is absolutely not important ... This is the reality of relations between Russia and Europe, this should be treated as a given. This is a policy that has nothing to do with real facts, ”the expert said.

“To consolidate the liberal faces of Europe, you need the image of an external enemy, they have chosen Russia, and therefore it must be to blame for everything that happens ... Russia's admission to discuss these problems begins to undermine their public legitimacy, the pattern that these liberal circles and their media form” - concluded the analyst.