France`s foreign minister told Russia on Thursday that the European Union would hold President Vladimir Putin and Russian authorities responsible if hunger-striking Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny died and said the bloc would impose new sanctions. "This relentless attack on Navalny is unbearable," Jean-Yves Le Drian told France 2 television. "We will take the necessary sanctions and it will be the responsibility of Mr Putin and the Russian authorities. "I don`t think it`s Russia`s desire to carry out military action against Ukraine, but having troops on the border poses risks of accidents." Ukraine is trying to shore up international support in its standoff with Moscow over the build-up of Russian troops on its eastern border and in Crimea, which it annexed from Kyiv in 2014.

Source: dna April 22, 2021 08:25 UTC