"The EU Council has harmed relations with our country": the Kremlin reacted to the imposition of sanctions due to the incident with Navalny

The Kremlin called the imposition of sanctions by the European Union against Russian citizens in connection with the incident with Alexei Navalny as a deliberate unfriendly step.

Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that in the current situation Moscow will act in accordance with its interests.

“Unfortunately for us, this is a deliberately unfriendly step towards Russia.

By this decision, the EU Council has damaged relations with our country.

Moscow, of course, will analyze the situation and will act in accordance with its own interests, ”RIA Novosti quotes a Kremlin spokesman.

Earlier, the website of the European Union magazine published a decision to impose sanctions against a number of Russian citizens in connection with the incident with Alexei Navalny.

According to the published data, the director of the FSB Alexander Bortnikov, the first deputy head of the presidential administration of Russia Sergei Kiriyenko and the head of the presidential department for domestic policy Andrei Yarin fell under personal sanctions.

Also, restrictions were imposed on the deputy defense ministers Alexei Krivoruchko and Pavel Popov, the presidential envoy to the Siberian Federal District Sergei Menyailo.

In addition, the list of sanctions includes the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology (GosNIIOKhT).

The restrictions include a ban on entering the EU and freezing any financial assets in European banks.

The UK later imposed similar sanctions on Russian officials in the aftermath of the Navalny incident.

The same persons who were included in the previously published list of EU sanctions were included in the London sanctions list.

The Federation Council called the decision on EU sanctions against Russia a manifestation of political pressure.

In an interview with RT, a member of the Federation Council Olga Kovitidi indicated that such actions are unacceptable.

“It is clear that such sanctions are unacceptable ... It should also be noted that the European Union must take into account the fact that the interaction of the Russian Federation with the European Union can be carried out solely taking into account the legitimate interests of each other,” the senator said.

The Federation Council also said that Russia will apply mirror measures in response to EU sanctions against high-ranking Russian civil servants.

According to the head of the Federation Council commission for the protection of state sovereignty, Andrei Klimov, the Foreign Ministry "is already working on a response to the EU sanctions list."

It is noted that the Russians mentioned in the EU sanctions list have nothing to do with the Navalny case.

Recall that the incident with Alexei Navalny occurred on August 20.

The blogger was on board the plane that took off from Tomsk to Moscow.

On board he felt bad, after which the liner landed in Omsk.

Navalny was urgently hospitalized.

The patient's relatives insisted on transferring Navalny to the Charite clinic in Berlin.

The blogger was transported to Germany when Russian doctors were able to stabilize his condition.

Subsequently, the FRG authorities stated that Navalny was allegedly poisoned with a nerve agent from the Novichok group.

Russian doctors have repeatedly indicated that the tests carried out did not reveal traces of toxic substances in the patient's body.

Subsequently, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office sent Germany several requests for legal assistance, but all remained unanswered, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The State Duma is of the opinion that the EU's decision is "unprecedented and unreasonable."

Alexei Chepa, deputy chairman of the State Duma's international affairs committee, believes that Russia is simply not heard.

“We say, 'Let's figure it out.'

They do not give any information, they ask us to give information.

What information can we give when we know nothing and it is very difficult for us to assume anything?

Therefore, this is a purely political step.

This is a provocation.

It is impossible to consider it in any other way, ”the deputy noted.

First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Viktor Vodolatsky, in turn, believes that the decision of the European Union goes beyond his competence.

He also drew attention to the lack of responses to numerous Russian information requests.

“The Russian Federation has repeatedly submitted requests to various German structures in order to give us access or to include Russia in the investigation in order to understand the situation.

Because we are most interested in this incident, which is currently being played out around the alleged "poisoning" of Navalny, "the deputy said.

Vodolatsky concluded that so far the European Union adheres to a policy that is detrimental to the international community.