EU condemns arrest of Navalny, supporters, but yet to take action

Despite pressure from some European Union countries Monday to sanction Russia further after the arrest of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and thousands of his supporters, the bloc’s top foreign policy official will go ahead with a visit to Moscow early next month and meet with Russian officials first.

The official, Josep Borrell Fontelles, will press the Russian government to release Navalny, according to diplomats in Brussels, and if not, new sanctions are possible. The decision came during meeting of the EU’s 27 foreign ministers in Brussels.