On 20 February 2024, at EU initiative, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Russian Mission to the European Union Kirill Logvinov met with Managing Director for Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia, regional cooperation and OSCE of the European External Action Service Michael Siebert.
In response to the EU position on Alexey Navalny's death voiced by Michael Siebert, Kirill Logvinov urged to get down to facts: a Russian citizen convicted in accordance with Russian laws died in a penal colony located in the territory of the Russian Federation. Even once the medical examination and forensic investigation are carried out, the death of a Russian citizen is a matter of solely Russian concern.
In this regard, the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. emphasised that we unequivocally consider any statements and steps the EU and its Member States have taken or may take in the context of the death of the afore-mentioned Russian citizen as an attempt to interfere in Russian domestic affairs.
Kirill Logvinov stressed that any EU statements on its support for the Russian opposition are yet another eloquent example of its attempts to interfere in Russian internal affairs in order to destabilise Russian society, including in the run-up to the presidential election.
The Chargé d’Affaires a.i. pointed out that after all the measures the EU has taken against ordinary Russian citizens over the last two years– introducing 12 sanctions “packages”, cutting off all people-to-people contacts and exchanges in every area, suspending air traffic – the claims that the EU allegedly cares about the Russian population appear largely cynical.
