The Kremlin has expressed pessimism about the future of Russia-EU relations following the appointment of new European Union leadership.
Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president’s press secretary, commented on the EU summit’s approval of Kaja Kallas as the new head of European diplomacy, saying that Kallas “has not demonstrated diplomatic inclinations so far and is well known to us [Russians] for her irreconcilable and sometimes even rabidly Russophobic statements.”
“Therefore, we do not think that European diplomacy will act in any way to normalize relations. The prospects for relations between Moscow and Brussels are poor,” Peskov told Russian Interfax.
The Kremlin spokesperson also addressed the reappointment of Ursula von der Leyen as head of the European Commission.
“As for Mrs. von der Leyen, she is already well known. In this case, we are only talking about relations with Russia. Mrs. von der Leyen does not support normalizing relations between the EU and Russia; that’s how we know and remember her. Nothing changes in this regard,” Peskov said.
The comments came after EU leaders agreed on new leadership for the European Union for the next five years late on 27 June. Kaja Kallas was chosen as EU chief diplomat, automatically making her a European Commission vice-president.
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