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Tories attack Juncker's 'nauseating' letter congratulating Putin Tories attack Juncker's 'nauseating' letter congratulating Putin
(35 minutes later)
The leader of the Conservative party in Brussels has described a letter of congratulation from Jean-Claude Juncker to Vladimir Putin on his re-election as Russian president as disgraceful.The leader of the Conservative party in Brussels has described a letter of congratulation from Jean-Claude Juncker to Vladimir Putin on his re-election as Russian president as disgraceful.
Ashley Fox, an MEP representing South West England & Gibraltar, hit out at the European commission president for failing to mention the Salisbury nerve agent attack against “innocent people in my constituency” and called his memo to Putin “nauseating”. Ashley Fox, an MEP representing South West England & Gibraltar, hit out at the European commission president for failing to mention the Salisbury nerve agent attack against “innocent people in my constituency”, and called his memo to Putin “nauseating”.
Others on social media also hit out at what some described as a gushing message to Putin, after the EU had promised to support the UK amid heightened tensions following the attack. Even as Donald Trump issued similar congratulations, others on social media hit out at Juncker’s message to Putin, after the EU had promised to support the UK amid heightened tensions following the attack.
Even EU officials raised concerns about the tone taken by Juncker, with one source stressing that the European council president, Donald Tusk, had “not sent such a letter until now and I would not be surprised if he did not send one at all”. EU officials raised concerns about the tone taken by Juncker, with one source stressing that the European council president, Donald Tusk, had “not sent such a letter until now and I would not be surprised if he did not send one at all”.
Guy Verhofstadt, the former Belgian prime minister who leads the Liberal group in the European parliament, tweeted:Guy Verhofstadt, the former Belgian prime minister who leads the Liberal group in the European parliament, tweeted:
This is no time for congratulations. We will always need dialogue with Russia, but closer ties must be conditional on respect for the rules based international order & fundamental values https://t.co/iVfhLB6TrLThis is no time for congratulations. We will always need dialogue with Russia, but closer ties must be conditional on respect for the rules based international order & fundamental values https://t.co/iVfhLB6TrL
In the letter Juncker offered his congratulations and wished the Russian leader “every success in carrying out your high responsibilities”. Speaking at the White House, Trump confirmed he had called Putin to “congratulate him on his electoral victory”. Trump and Putin did not discuss the poisoning in Salisbury of the former double agent Sergei Skripal, the Kremlin told the Interfax news agency.
The message, which the commission president tweeted, added: “I have always argued that positive relations between the European Union and the Russian Federation are crucial to the security of our continent. Our common objective should be to re-establish a cooperative pan-European security order. Other western leaders have called Putin following the victory, including Germany’s Angela Merkel and the French president, Emmanuel Macron. But both avoided explicitly using the word “congratulate”. Instead both “wished success” to Putin for his new six-year term in office.
Juncker in his letter offered his congratulations and wished the Russian leader “every success in carrying out your high responsibilities”.
The message, which the commission president made public in a tweet, added: “I have always argued that positive relations between the European Union and the Russian Federation are crucial to the security of our continent. Our common objective should be to re-establish a cooperative pan-European security order.
“I hope that you will use your fourth term in office to pursue this goal. I will always be a partner in this endeavour.”“I hope that you will use your fourth term in office to pursue this goal. I will always be a partner in this endeavour.”
Fox, who is the Tory MEPs’ leader in the European parliament, questioned the failure to raise criticism of the election process and the poisoning of the former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, for which Theresa May has pointed the finger at the Putin administration. Fox, who is the Tory MEPs’ leader in the European parliament, questioned the failure to raise criticism of the election process and the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, for which Theresa May has pointed the finger at the Putin administration.
“To congratulate Vladimir Putin on his election victory without referring to the clear ballot-rigging that took place is bad enough. But his failure to mention Russia’s responsibility for a military nerve agent attack on innocent people in my constituency is nauseating,” said Fox.“To congratulate Vladimir Putin on his election victory without referring to the clear ballot-rigging that took place is bad enough. But his failure to mention Russia’s responsibility for a military nerve agent attack on innocent people in my constituency is nauseating,” said Fox.
“The European commission president is appeasing a man who poses a clear threat to western security.”“The European commission president is appeasing a man who poses a clear threat to western security.”
The MEP tweeted:The MEP tweeted:
How nauseating: https://t.co/CWnFqZXiiQHow nauseating: https://t.co/CWnFqZXiiQ
Another senior Tory, Sarah Wollaston, who chairs parliament’s health and liaison committees, said:Another senior Tory, Sarah Wollaston, who chairs parliament’s health and liaison committees, said:
Shameful https://t.co/OaPQadr1QEShameful https://t.co/OaPQadr1QE
Britain has turned to the EU for support over Salisbury. While additional sanctions against the Russians are not on the agenda of the leaders summit in Brussels on Thursday, an official said the focus would be on attribution of the attack and solidarity. Britain has turned to the EU for support over Salisbury. While additional sanctions against the Russians are not on the agenda of the leaders’ summit in Brussels on Thursday, an official said the focus would be on attribution of the attack and solidarity.
Tusk was said by an EU official to be sympathetic to Downing Street’s analysis and approach.Tusk was said by an EU official to be sympathetic to Downing Street’s analysis and approach.
Meanwhile, Vince Cable has called for three of the best-known Putin-supporting oligarchs with significant British assets to publicly condemn Russia for the Salisbury attacks. May chaired a session of the national security council on Tuesday at which ministers discussed strict new checks by border officials on private flights.
The Lib Dem leader argued that the Chelsea FC owner, Roman Abramovich, the Arsenal co-owner Alisher Usmanov, and Oleg Deripaska, who listed his energy group on the London Stock Exchange last year, ought to put forward a joint statement given their ties to the Kremlin. The move is part of a series of actions agreed at a previous session after the Salisbury attack, which are focused on tracking people entering the country who could pose a threat to national security.
Cable said: “This would send a powerful message to Putin. These three oligarchs are reported to have great influence and access to the Putin regime. It is time for them to use that influence and support the country – Britain – that has so welcomed them, by telling Russia to cease all acts of aggression.” “Action has also been taken at the UK’s border to enhance our efforts to monitor and track the intentions of those travelling to the UK who could be engaged in activity that threatens the security of the UK and of our allies,” the prime minister’s spokesman said. “This includes strict checks by border officials on private flights.”
There has been a mixed reaction to Putin’s re-election. While formal congratulations were sent from countries such as China, Venezuela, Iran and Japan, there was a disagreement on how to respond within Europe, where countries such as Poland have been deeply critical but Germany has taken a more cautious approach. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism chief, Neil Basu, insisted he was confident that the culprits for the Skripal attack would be found, but said the inquiry would be prolonged.
Poland’s deputy foreign minister, Konrad Szymański, called on Germany to cancel the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that is due to send Russian gas through the Baltic Sea into Germany and Europe. Asked if the focus was on Skripal’s BMW, following speculation that it may have been sabotaged, Basu said: “Our focus is on the movements of the Skripals; we are open-minded and will follow that evidence wherever it takes us.”
Angela Merkel’s allies declined the request. The German chancellor’s spokesman said she would congratulate Putin on his re-election, as tradition dictated, but this would include cautionary advice about the challenges facing German-Russian relations. Amid warnings that the investigation could last until the summer, police moved steel barriers into place behind the Mill pub, one of the places that the Skripals visited before they fell ill.
Public Health England is expected to update its advice to people who were in the Mill and the Zizzi restaurant that the Skripals visited on 4 March within the next few days.
The authorities have contacted 131 people who could have been exposed to the nerve agent that has left the Skripals in a critical condition.
A woman who was in the Zizzi restaurant with her boyfriend and newborn baby a few hours after the Skripals were taken ill has said she was surprised it took nearly two weeks for her to be approached by police.
She said: “We were spoken to on the 15th, which was 11 days later. Responding to people’s worries and getting information out there was really crap, really slow.
“I was told [by police] that we should have no worries about our health, as if we were affected we would have seen something by now. I was really worried because I have a small baby.”
Additional reporting: Steven Morris and Caroline Bannock
Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
Jean-Claude JunckerJean-Claude Juncker
Sergei SkripalSergei Skripal
European UnionEuropean Union
EuropeEurope
RussiaRussia
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