The European Union has postponed the development of a new strategy towards Russia until the next personal meeting of the heads of state of the community. This was announced on Tuesday, March 23rd, by the President of the European Council Charles Michel, reports TASS.
“On relations with Russia, I propose to inform the leaders of the results of negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to hold a strategic discussion at our next personal meeting,” he wrote in an invitation to EU leaders to the summit on March 25-26, which will be held due to the coronavirus pandemic. online.
Earlier, on March 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with the head of the European Council Charles Michel. The Russian leader assessed the unsatisfactory state of relations between Russia and the European Union, noting the EU’s confrontational line. At the same time, the President of the Russian Federation stressed Moscow’s readiness to restore a normal dialogue with Brussels, provided that the same interest is shown from the West.
On March 23, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia had no relations with the EU as an organization, they were destroyed by Brussels, but Moscow was ready to step up cooperation.
In 2016, the EU adopted five principles that guide all member states of the community when interacting with Russia. In particular, they include the full implementation of the Minsk agreements on Ukraine, strengthening cooperation with the Eastern partners of the European Union, ensuring EU energy security, developing European-Russian cooperation on international issues of interest to the EU, and supporting civil society in Russia and relations between the peoples of Russia and EU.