Putin calls on the EU to renounce "the phobias of the past"

Russian President Vladimir Putin today called on the European Union to renounce the "phobias of the past", noting the current tensions between Moscow and Brussels.  

"Only one thing matters here, we have to engage in dialogue with honesty, free ourselves from the phobias of the past, from using the problems inherited from previous centuries in internal political processes, and look to the future", he said during his virtual address at the Davos Forum.  

According to Putin, if Moscow and Brussels "manage to overcome these problems, get rid of these phobias, then a positive stage in our relations awaits us", something for which, he said, Russia is ready. 

The president recalled that Russia and Europe are united by their "common culture", stressing that "in essence, it is the same civilisation". 

Putin described the current state of relations between Russia and Europe as "obviously abnormal" and called for a return to "the positive agenda", recalling that this would benefit both Russia and European countries, "absolutely natural" partners, according to the president. 

Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry today lamented the deterioration of relations between the EU and Russia, especially in relation to the case of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalni, who was poisoned in August last year and is currently in prison.  

"The apogee of the unfriendly steps was the 'alleged poisoning' of Navalni with a toxic substance from the Novichok group, which called into question the very possibility of continuing to interact with the EU," the ministry headed by Sergey Lavrov said in a statement. 

Germany, France and other European countries and institutions have called on Russia to investigate the attack on the extra-parliamentary opposition leader, but the Russian authorities say they do not have enough evidence to open a criminal case.  

The EU also criticised Moscow for imprisoning the opposition leader and demanded his release. 

The EU on Monday considered a new round of sanctions against Russia over the Navalni case, but decided to wait for the trial scheduled for 2 February, when the opposition leader could be sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for an old criminal case.  

Despite this, the foreign ministry said, Russia will not "take an offended stance or close the channels of dialogue". 

The EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, will visit Russia next week to discuss ties between Moscow and Brussels, and is expected to address the Navalni case, one of the main irritants in relations between the two sides in recent times.