MONTRÉAL, Québec (CU)_In the wake of Russia’s move to expel European Union diplomats last week, Canada joined its allies in a virtual meeting on Monday (Feb 8), to discuss a possible joint response to the imprisonment of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
Navalny, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critics, was arrested in mid-January, following his return from Germany after recovering a nerve agent poisoning which he blames on the Kremlin.
Last week, a Moscow Court ruled that while in Germany, Navalny violated the probation terms of his 2014 money-laundering conviction, and therefore ordered him to serve two years and eight months in prison. The verdict prompted massive protests in central Moscow, with tens of thousands taking to the streets to demand his release.
The ruling also gave rise to international scorn, with Canada calling on Russia to bring to justice those responsible for crimes against the 44-year-old anti-corruption investigator.
“Canada condemns the decision by Russia to extend the detention of Alexei Navalny. Russian authorities must immediately release him. His ongoing persecution, in light of the failure to adequately investigate his poisoning, underscores the political motivations behind his imprisonment,” the Canadian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The statement followed the virtual meeting between the representatives of Canada, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Ukraine, during which the diplomats discussed a possible joint response to the state of affairs in Russia.
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Sunday that the denial of his request to visit Navalny confirmed the fact that “Europe and Russia are drifting apart”.
“Russia is progressively disconnecting itself from Europe and looking at democratic values as an existential threat,” he wrote. “It will be for member states to decide the next steps, and yes, these could include sanctions.”
Last week, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Estonia and the Czech Republic pushed for fresh sanctions on Russia. However, Germany, France and Italy have suggested giving the Kremlin more time to reconsider its decision to imprison Navalny.
During the meeting on Monday, the representatives also discussed Moscow’s decision to expel diplomats from Germany, Sweden and Poland on Fridy, alleging that they attended a rally to support Navalny, and therefore, the three European countries on Monday expelled three Russian diplomats in a coordinated act of retaliation.
