Juncker’s nauseating ‘love letter’ to Putin after sham election
JEAN-CLAUDE Juncker came under fire last night after penning an extraordinary ‘love letter’ to Vladimir Putin congratulating him on his election victory.
The European Commission chief was accused of ‘appeasement’ after writing the ‘nauseating’ letter following the Russian president’s win in an election critics have widely derided as a sham.
His words even sparked criticism from his allies in Brussels.
The letter made no mention of the Salisbury nerve agent attack on Russian spy Sergei Skripal.
It came as 23 Russian diplomats departed Britain yesterday after being expelled over the incident.
Mr Juncker, who has previously faced criticism over his relationship with Mr Putin, has long called for closer European ties with Russia and has heaped praise on the Red Army for ‘liberating Europe’.
In his letter, he told the Russian president he would ‘always be a partner’ in advancing security co-operation with Moscow.
Addressing Mr Putin as ‘Excellency, Mr President’, he said: ‘I wish you every success in carrying out your high responsibilities.
‘I have always argued that positive relations between the EU and the Russian Federation are crucial to the security of our continent.
‘Our common objective should be to re-establish a cooperative panEuropean security order. I hope that you will use your fourth term in office to pursue this goal. I will always be a partner in this endeavour.’
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith described the letter as ‘sickmaking’. ‘He should hang his head in shame,’ he said. ‘In writing a letter in this way, the European Commission is undermining our efforts to create a united front on this state-sponsored attempted assassination.’
Ashley Fox, leader of the Conservative group of MEPs, said: ‘To congratulate Vladimir Putin on his election victory without referring to the clear ballot rigging that took place is bad enough. But his failure to mention Russian’s responsibility for a military nerve agent attack on innocent people...is nauseating. The European Commission President is appeasing a man who poses a clear threat to western security.’ Garry Kasparov, chair of the Human Rights Foundation, accused Mr Juncker of sending a ‘love letter’ to Russia.
And even Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament’s Brexit coordinator, condemned the letter, saying: ‘This is no time for congratulations ... Closer ties must be conditional on respect for the rules based international order.’ The row came as Downing Street said security checks would be tightened on private jets arriving in the UK in a move designed to make life less comfortable for oligarchs and Putin cronies with assets in London.
The Government’s National Security Council also discussed further potential sanctions against Russia, including the closure of a London trade outpost suspected as being a front for espionage.
No10 declined to comment in detail on Mr Juncker’s intervention, but said the EU had already expressed ‘strong solidarity’ with Britain over the attack. Theresa May is expected to raise the issue with Mr Juncker at a summit in Brussels tomorrow.
‘Excellency Mr President’