The European Union planned to arrange a "public flogging" of Russia from the visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell to Moscow, but this did not work out.

This opinion was expressed by the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova on the air of the Full Contact program on Vesti FM radio.

“I will reveal to you a secret about our western partners.

When they fail to "spank", they get hysterical.

The task was to carry out this "public flogging", which, it seems to me, they planned very carefully.

Such a cascade - to talk about rallies, and talk about journalists, and make Navalny the main topic, mix everything in one heap, dump it and leave with a contented look.

It didn't work out, ”Zakharova said.

The day before, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the statements of the head of the European Union diplomacy, made during his stay in Moscow and upon arrival in Brussels, "strongly contrast."

The Foreign Ministry suggested that after his return, Josep Borrell was explained "how it was necessary to place the accents", which only confirms "how and by whom the EU policy is actually formed."

Meanwhile, Borrell himself, following his visit to Moscow (February 4-6), stated that Russia had no interest in restoring relations with the EU.

“I wanted to find out if the Russian authorities are ready to try to reverse the negative tendency in our relations, to take this opportunity to establish a constructive dialogue.

The answer was very clear: no, they are not interested in this, ”said the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, speaking before the European Commission.

The European Union intends to discuss the issue of imposing sanctions against Russia at a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the EU countries and in March, Borrell said.

“At these meetings, decisions will be made on further steps.

It would be correct to include sanctions.

I will make concrete proposals using my right of initiative as high representative for foreign and security policy, ”Borrell said.

He added that at the moment the EU is at a "historic crossroads" in relations with Russia.

“The choices we make will determine the international dynamics of power in this century.

Will the EU move towards a more cooperative or more polarized model in relations with Russia, will it be based on open or closed societies, ”the head of Eurodiplomacy explained.

Expulsion of diplomats

Another topic of conversation on the air of Vesti FM radio was Moscow's decision to expel diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden.

According to Maria Zakharova, the reason for this step was the violation of the Vienna Convention - diplomats participated in illegal protests.

The relevant materials were published by the Russian side.

“However, Russian diplomats have been expelled for many years under any pretext, no one has ever provided Russia with any factual information about what our diplomats did.

And we expelled their diplomats in a mirror, understanding that there is no invoice under the expulsion of our diplomats, ”she explained.

Zakharova added that the participation of foreign ambassadors in uncoordinated actions in Russia is part of a complex of political actions of the collective West against the Russian Federation.

In response to the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on February 8, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Sweden and Germany declared diplomats from the Russian Federation persona non grata; in total, three representatives of Russian diplomatic missions were expelled.

As Maria Zakharova explained on the air of the Vremya Pokazhet program on Channel One, the actions of Berlin, Warsaw and Stockholm cannot be called unprecedented.

“There is no need to focus on this hysteria as something that can block, change our policy.

Our policy is not built in connection with the fact that someone wants to make us worse, harm, and so on, ”said the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

About connections between Navalny's supporters and the West

Along with this, Maria Zakharova considers the actions of the supporters of Alexei Navalny, who are discussing the imposition of sanctions against Russia with representatives of the European Union and the United States, as a betrayal.

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Foundation * called on US President Joe Biden to impose sanctions against 35 people.

A similar letter was sent to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell.

Zakharova noted that on the eve of the Polish Permanent Mission to the European Union in Brussels, an online meeting was held between the head of the Navalny regional headquarters network Leonid Volkov and the FBK * Executive Director Vladimir Ashurkov with representatives of the EU member states, the USA and Great Britain.

“Just one small nuance.

This format - the EU countries plus the USA, plus Britain - is no longer the EU, this is NATO.

So they met yesterday with NATO members, received instructions for the full program.

I think they just clearly explained that there is no need to wait for any spring or summer, and that it is necessary to continue to sway the situation, ”Zakharova said.

At the same time, according to the official spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Navalny's supporters "must stop" being called the opposition - these are "agents of influence."

On her Facebook, Zakharova also posted a photo from a tweet from the Polish Permanent Mission to the EU, which shows participants in the online meeting.

“Too much money and resources have already been invested by the West in this story to pull it off until spring.

They clearly understand that in the spring the information campaign pumped up by Westerners will be blown away.

They can no longer juggle the topic of "chemical weapons" without presenting facts - they were pinned to the wall.

Therefore, they go all-in, ”she wrote.