About 80 MEPs think that EU foreign chief Josep Borrell cannot stay on after his “humiliating” Russia trip. If Borrell does not keep the honour to himself, his boss Ursula von der Leyen must intervene, write Dutchmen Derk Jan Eppink (JA21) and Peter van Dalen (ChristenUnie).
Borrell’s visit to Moscow was controversial in advance. Quite a few MEPs and several EU countries would rather not see him leave.
In addition to the many disagreements that had already arisen, Russia had also arrested Kremlin critic Aleksej Navalny, who was barely recovered from a poison murder.
But Borrell insisted that the cold relationship requires consultation and went anyway. The EU’s top diplomat received fierce criticism from the Russian Foreign Minister in what he said was “aggressively organized”.
In addition, Russia expelled three diplomats from EU countries during Borrell’s visit. This is not an example of courtesy among diplomats.
The “humiliating” course of the visit has done tremendous damage to the reputation of the EU, write more than 80 MEPs in a letter to von der Leyen. Borrell would have offered little or no resistance.
The letter writers are mainly Christian Democrats, conservatives and a few liberals. Most come from Eastern European member states.