PARIS, September 16. /TASS/: The European Parliament has approved a report calling on the European Union’s authorities to review relations with Russia. As many as 494 parliament members voted in favor of the report at a plenary session in Strasbourg, another 103 voted against it and 72 abstained from voting.
The document recommends that "the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy should review, together with the Member States, the EU policy vis-a-vis Russia <...> and develop a comprehensive EU strategy towards Russia" based on the principles set out in the report. In particular, the document says that the EU should push back against the security threat, deter Russia’s interference in the affairs of member states and Eastern Partnership countries, maintain selective dialogue with the Kremlin and engage with Russian civil society. The report adds that "the EU must be prepared not to recognize the Parliament of Russia <...> if the 2021 parliamentary elections in Russia are recognized as fraudulent and having been conducted in violation of democratic principles and international law."
"The EU must strengthen its cooperation with the US and other like-minded partners and establish an alliance to defend democracy globally," the document says, adding that "the EU’s agenda should counterbalance the efforts of Russia and China to weaken democracy worldwide and destabilize the European order."
EU top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Tuesday, addressing the European Parliament, that Russia remained the EU’s largest neighbor and an important global actor. He particularly called for cooperation on certain security issues.
The European Parliament’s decisions aren’t binding for EU member states.
