Putin calls sanctions against Belarus counterproductive as he talks to Charles Michel

“Speaking about the additional sanctions against Belarus imposed by the European Union, Vladimir Putin emphasized the counterproductive nature of this approach and of any attempts to interfere in the domestic affairs of this sovereign state in general,” the Kremlin press service noted.

During the conversation, Vladimir Putin stressed: although Russia and the European Union remain very important partners in trade and investment, the current state of the Russian-EU relations cannot be called satisfactory. Returning to pragmatic and respectful cooperation would meet common interests. Both parties pointed to the importance of stepping up interaction in such areas as health care, climate agenda, and settlement of regional conflicts.

“The conversation also touched upon efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus infection, including a possibility to certify the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in the EU and resumption of mutual trips taking into consideration the pandemic-related restrictions,” the press service noted.