The European Union needs to increase sanctions against Russia, according to British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt. He was addressing an audience at the US Institute of Peace in Washington on August 21.
In his first major speech since taking over the position as the UK’s chief diplomat, Hunt said the bloc should stand “shoulder to shoulder” with the US over the sanctions it imposed on Moscow this month.
As reported by Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international broadcaster, Hunt said: “That means calling out and responding to transgressions with one voice whenever and wherever they occur, from the streets of Salisbury to the fate of Crimea”.
According to Hunt, Russian President Vladimir Putin had made the world “a more dangerous place”.
Under Putin, Russia’s “aggressive and malign behaviour undermines the international order that keeps us safe,” he added. “Those who do not share our values need to know that there will always be a serious price to pay if red lines are crossed — whether territorial incursions, the use of banned weapons or, increasingly, cyberattacks.”
In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: “Our British colleagues have quite a high opinion of themselves”.
Speaking in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Lavrov added: “A country which is leaving the EU in the framework of Brexit is trying to dictate foreign policy to the EU itself. And now, as it turns out, London wants to dictate foreign policy on Russia in Washington.”
He added: “A country which is leaving the European Union in the framework of Brexit is trying to dictate foreign policy to the European Union itself. And now, as it turns out, London wants to dictate foreign policy on Russia in Washington.”
