Russian Envoy Calls EU Refusal to Join Anti-Terrorist Efforts 'Irrational'

Russia's Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said that the EU position regarding the Russian aerial operation in Syria, which aimed at elimination of terrorism, contradicts logic.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – The European Union's unwillingness to cooperate with Moscow in the fight against the common terrorist threat is an example of the irrational behavior of the European establishment, Russia's Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said Monday at the 10th European Russian Forum in Brussels.

SYRIA ANTI-TERRORIST CAMPAIGN

The EU position regarding the Russian aerial operation in Syria, which aimed at elimination of terrorism, contradicts logic, Chizhov noted.

"It seemed like nothing could prevent the European Union that is not a military bloc and does not participate in the military actions in this country [in Syria] to unite its efforts with Russia and to fight terrorism…. However we see once again the irrational behavior of the European Union, when they are trying to avoid common fight against the common enemy," Chizhov noted.

Russia's permanent representative to the European Union illustrated this idea with the examples of the EU refusal to assist Russian military ships during their passing the Mediterranean sea and "certain attempts of the EU establishment to compare the actions of Russia with the actions of the deadly Islamic State," a jihadist group outlawed in Russia.

"And this allows us to use very reasonable questions on which side of the frontlines of Eurasia is the European Union or… on which side of history does it see itself and whether its position reflects the interests of all citizens. The further character and the direction of the development of our relations will depend on the answers to this questions," Chizhov said.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES REQUIRE JOINT EFFORTS

Chizhov said, citing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, that the unprecedented outbreak of terrorism posed threat to everyone and noted that the common problems needed to be solved jointly.

"In the present globalized and interdependent world the only way we can effectively solve the common problems we face is by pooling the efforts and potentials of all the responsible parties to the international relations," Chizhov stressed, adding that at present time the EU states, "turned Russian-EU relations into a hostage" of further settlement of a range of provoked crises.

UKRAINE

The Russian envoy added that Moscow and the European Union would like to see Ukraine a "stable democratic state" where not only Ukrainians and Russians would feel comfortable and safe but also all other peoples and nationalities.

"Instead of assisting Ukraine in becoming a flourishing state that could become a link between Russia and the European Union, Brussels preferred to propose Ukrainians a false choice between the ‘bright European future’ and the ‘dark past’ with Russia and this brought the split in the Ukrainian society," Russia's Permanent Representative to the European Union added.