Russia is making a mistake by inflaming its quarrel with the rest of Europe by gratuitously banning 89 European politicians, officials and military officers from the European Union. There are many good reasons for the EU to be angry with Russia over its successful although illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its continued support for separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine, but this is no reason for both sides not to seek a resolution to their problems.
The EU has described the ban as “totally arbitrary and unjustified” even if many on the list have been outspoken in criticism of Russia. It is also deliberately irritating of the Russians that they refused to release the names on the list, so that over the past few months assorted senior European officials have found themselves unexpectedly unable to enter Russia with no legal basis. The EU has attacked Russia’s “absence of clarification and transparency” over the issue.
It is not unexpected that the frustrated Russian government should lash out at the Europeans who have implemented increasingly effective sanctions on Russia for its illegal activities, and in the winter the EU should expect further targeted cuts of vital gas exports to energy starved European neighbours of Russia. But both sides need to work towards an agreed political solution that recognises Russia’s rights but also stops its incursions on the sovereignty of European states. The only way Europe can achieve normality with Russia is for Russia to implement the Minsk Protocol.
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