Barroso: Plane crash could worsen EU-Russia relations

Vinícius Lisboa - Reporter for Agência Brasil

The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso, criticized today (21) Russia's position regarding the separatist conflicts in Ukraine, which may be related to the downing of the Malaysia Airlines plane last week. Almost 300 people died in the accident. In a lecture at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, in Rio, on Brazil and the European Union (EU) in the international context, Durão Barroso said that the bloc has no interest in friction with Moscow.

"We are requesting an independent and concrete investigation. The initial indications we have, which we cannot confirm, are that the plane was shot down by pro-Russian separatist rebels. And, obviously, we are trying to understand the reality. This will likely have even more negative consequences for the European Union-Russia relationship. The EU cannot accept this behavior. If we start accepting that planes flying in the skies of countries are being shot down, where will the world end up?"

The Malaysia Airlines plane was traveling from the Netherlands to Malaysia when it crashed in the Donetsk region, where separatists seeking annexation to Russia are clashing with Ukrainian forces. The Ukrainian government has already attributed responsibility for the crash to the separatists.

Durão Barroso highlighted that the European Union is Russia's main trading partner, and Russia, in turn, is the bloc's largest energy supplier. For him, however, the issue in Ukraine is one of principle: "We don't want a confrontation, but it will be difficult if the Russian government doesn't take absolutely clear measures, which it hasn't taken so far, to stop what is happening in eastern Ukraine," he said.

The President of the European Commission also spoke of a backward nationalism: "Unfortunately, in this crisis, we have seen that in Russia there are nationalists whom we thought were no longer part of the 21st century, and a Cold War logic that is regrettable."

The European leader reiterated his criticism of the annexation of Crimea, a region of Ukraine that declared its independence after a referendum, without Kiev's approval, to rejoin Russia: "Against all international norms, Russia annexed Crimea, which is an absolute violation of international law. Russia had recognized Ukraine's independence at the end of the Soviet Union. And now it has created a situation of great instability in eastern Ukraine."