UPDATE – EU Presidents condemn Russia’s move – Statement

The President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, and the President of the European Parliament condemned in the strongest possible terms today’s decision of the Russian authorities to ban eight European Union nationals from entering the Russian territory.

This includes the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, Vice President of the European Commission Věra Jourová, as well as six EU Member States’ officials. This action is unacceptable, lacks any legal justification and is entirely groundless. It targets the European Union directly, not only the individuals concerned.

This decision is the latest, striking demonstration of how the Russian Federation has chosen confrontation with the EU instead of agreeing to redress the negative trajectory of our bilateral relations.

The statement said that the EU reserves the right to take appropriate measures in response to the Russian authorities’ decision.

Germany said on Friday it rejected Russia’s decision to bar eight officials from European Union countries from entering the country in retaliation for sanctions imposed on Russian citizens by the EU. 

“Unlike the measures imposed by the EU in March against Russian officials for serious human rights violations, the measures taken by the Russian Federation are unfounded in substance,” a German Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

“They contribute to further straining relations with Russia in an unnecessary way,” the spokesman added in a statement.