Russia mulling downgrading ties with West, Kremlin says

28/6/2024 18:57

        The Kremlin said on Friday that the outlook for EU-Russia ties was bad after EU leaders nominated Ursula von der Leyen for another term as European Commission president and picked Estonia's Kaja Kallas as the next EU foreign policy chief.
        
        Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the bloc's decision to nominate Germany's von der Leyen for a second five-year term would not change anything.
        
        "Mrs von der Leyen is not in favour of normalising relations between the EU and Russia. That's how we know her, that's how we remember her. Nothing changes in this respect," said Peskov.
        
        Though sometimes riven by divisions, the EU has mobilised to try to help Kyiv against Russia financially and militarily since President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022. Brussels has also imposed multiple packages of sanctions on Moscow to try to force it to withdraw its forces.
        Commenting on the choice of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for EU foreign policy chief, Peskov said she was known for her anti-Russian rhetoric.