David Sassoli, chairman of the European Parliament, said this in an interview with the media group Funke
“We (the European Union) must tighten sanctions against Russian officials, as well as establish closer contacts with the population and civil society”, – he said.
Russian-European relations have recently seen another round of tensions. In March, the European Union imposed sanctions as part of a new global regime for human rights violations, a reaction triggered by the arrest of Alexei Navalny. Russia responded by denying entry to eight European officials, including David Sassoli.