European Parliament demands cancellation of Nord Stream 2 pipeline due to Navalny’s arrest
At a session in Brussels, Members of the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation with Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, demanding the release of the politician, cancellation of Nord Stream 2 project and tightening sanctions against Russia, including Russian "propagandists", oligarchs, their families and "all persons and organizations involved in Navalny’s arrest," reports DW.
The text of the document, in which the MEPs declared their full solidarity with the "democratically minded residents of Russia," was published by the press service of the European Parliament. 581 MEPs voted in favor the resolution, 50 voted against it, and 44 parliamentarians abstained.
"The European Parliament categorically condemns the detention of Navalny and its supporters and calls for their immediate and unconditional release," the document reads. The European Parliament also called for an investigation into the attempted murder of Navalny and an "international investigation into Russia's violations of its chemical weapons obligations." The European Parliament also said that it "considers Russia's behavior unworthy of a member of the Council of Europe."
"The European Parliament calls on the Council of the European Union to take an active position during the next meeting (January 25) and significantly tighten sanctions against Russia, including imposing restrictions against individuals and organizations involved in the decision to arrest and imprison Navalny," the document reads. "The EU must cease to be a fertile ground for Russian money of uknown origin," the EP said.
"The European Parliament calls on the EU and its member states to develop a new EU strategy on relations with Russia, built on the support of civil society, which promotes the values of democracy and the rule of law, fundamental human rights and freedoms. The Parliament calls on all EU countries to critically review cooperation with Russia on various foreign policy platforms, especially on the Nord Stream 2 project, which should be stopped immediately," the text of the resolution reads.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that comments by Western politicians about Alexei Navalny's return to Russia were intended to "divert attention from the deep crisis" in which the "liberal model" of Western development has found itself.