MOSCOW, January 31. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova decried as "monstrous" the latest dismissive remarks by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell about proposals to reach a reconciliation with Russia, which he derided as "wrong."
"This is yet another monstrous statement, <…> but then that’s Borrell," Zakharova told Sputnik Radio.
The Russian diplomat criticized the West for its consistent historical practice, over many centuries, of seeking to pit various countries against one another, and then preventing them from reconciling with each other, or interfering with initiatives to let various nations live normally in a state of stable, peaceful coexistence.
According to Zakharova, similar statements provoke a negative response as well within the European Union itself. "Their reaction is the same. They also say, ‘That’s just Borrell [being Borrell],’ albeit with a different connotation and emotional tone, as they themselves realize that the statements coming out of this man’s mouth are not even on the far fringe of things, but are completely bizarre and off-the-wall," she concluded.
In an op-ed for the French magazine L’Obs, Borrell called on EU leaders to reject "temptations of conciliation" with Russia. According to the EU foreign policy chief, such ideas "were wrong in 2022, and they remain wrong today." He doubted that anybody would be seeking compromise under the current circumstances.