The European Union (EU) is planning on convening for a video conference on Monday to speak with allied of the jailed Kremlin critic and opposition figure Alexei Navalny. The EU will be joined by spokespeople from the US, Canada, Ukraine, and Britain to discuss Russia’s handling of an extremely volatile situation that includes the arrests of thousands of protestors seeking to voice their concern over censorship and Navalny’s arrest. Last week, Russia expelled diplomats from EU states, according to authorities.
The meeting is the first forum during which the West will consider a response to Friday’s expulsions and Navalny’s arrest. The expulsion of diplomats included the EU’s top diplomat who was visiting Moscow at the time. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell posted late on Sunday, stating that Germany, Poland, and Sweden also had their diplomats expelled from the country. The explosions and denials or requests to visit Navalny marks a turning point in EU-Russia relations in which the two entities are “drifting apart,” according to Borell.
Read More: EU, UK and U.S. to speak with Navalny team after Russia expels diplomats
