Commenting on the Russia conclusions of the European Council, Reinhard Bütikofer, foreign policy spokesperson of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, said:
“One can only tip one’s hat to the European Council’s decision on future Russia policy. The clear language, the concrete demands and the emphasis on European unity vis-à-vis Moscow were a positive surprise. This is especially true in view of the regrettable attempt by Chancellor Merkel and President Macron to replace the necessary European unity vis-à-vis Putin’s policy with an exclusive Franco-German move to the detriment of the EU and all its other member states. Rarely has such Franco-German presumption failed so spectacularly. Obviously, a lot of member states had had enough. After all, Merkel and Macron had already played the same selfish game in the context of Chinese and US relations.
It would be good if the Brussels leaders, President von der Leyen, President Michel and High Representative Borrell would recognizably and actively embrace the newly found Council position in order to prevent the EU’s foreign policy weakness from being multiplied ever further by action from its two strongest capitals.”
