EU imposes sanctions on Putin aides

European leaders imposed sanctions Thursday on some close to Russian President Vladimir Putin for poisoning Alexei Navalny before a summit in Brussels.

In doing so, they made it clear that they are willing to use political and economic means to protect international law, the AFP writes.

Europeans have punished the involvement of Russian president's close associates in poisoning the opposition nervous poison leader by an initial group produced for military purposes and in the destabilising of Libya.

Both actions violate international law and UN resolutions. The European Union needed little time to collect evidence in order to protect sanctions in court.

“The confirmation of Alexei Navally was only possible with the consent of the president's administration,” said in the decision published in the EU Official Journal.