Polish President Andrzej Duda has called on the EU to strengthen sanctions against Russia after the arrest and imprisonment of Alexei Navalny, an anti-corruption fighter who has become the most famous critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“There is no other peaceful instrument of pressure on a state that violates the norms of international law. The primacy of international law is fundamental here. As long as international law is respected, there is no war. If international law is violated, it always leads to conflict, "Duda said in an interview Financial Times ahead of Saturday's protests.
“The only way to do without rifles, guns and bombs is through sanctions. So we are ready to help reach a consensus on this issue, "Duda said.
According to the President of Poland, the new package of sanctions should be directed against Gazprom.
“I think that if we limit the possibility of Gazprom's economic functioning in the EU, then such things as respect for international law, human rights and political rights in Russia will begin to move forward, because this will be a serious step in the field economic interests of Russia, "he said.
EU foreign ministers will discuss the issue of introducing additional sanctions against Russia on Monday.
While some EU countries, especially the three Baltic states, share Poland's belligerent stance, there are deep differences within the bloc over policy toward the Kremlin. However, the crackdown on protestors against Navalny's arrest on Saturday raised the stakes of the hawks in the talks of the foreign ministers on Monday.
