Stranger in Moscow: Borrell’s unwelcome visit

Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

This month, High Representative Josep Borrell visited Moscow to discuss key issues of concern and test the waters for building a more “constructive dialogue” between Russia and the European Union. His visit came at a time of elevated tensions, as calls for sanctions against the Russian Federation are increasing and both sides debate over the recent poisoning and imprisonment of Alexei Navalny, as well as issues concerning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. What lessons can be drawn from Borrell’s controversial visit? Why do attempts to reset relations with Russia fail? In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard is joined by Kadri Liik, senior policy fellow at ECFR and Russian domestic and foreign policy expert, Nicu Popescu, Director of ECFR´s Wider Europe programme, and José Ignacio Torreblanca, head of ECFR's Madrid office to discuss Europe’s strategy vis-à-vis Russia. This podcast was recorded on 10 February 2021.Further reading:- “Why attempts to reset relations with Russia fail” by Nicu Popescu: https://buff.ly/3rnwG7P - “The Putin paradox: Five things Navalny’s arrest says about Russia” by Kadri Liik: https://buff.ly/3rcfJghBookshelf:- “In Confidence: Moscow's Ambassador to Six Cold War Presidents” by Anatoly Dobrynin- “Barbarie de l'ignorance” by George Steiner and Antoine Spire- “Rakovsky, Ou, La Révolution Dans Tous Les Pays” by Pierre Broué

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