Russia sanctions over Navalny vital to show EU is strong -French minister

Speaking at a conference in Slovakia, Le Drian also said that having a dialogue with Russia did not equate with doing the country a favour. "It does not mean abandoning our ambition to build a peaceful continent. On the contrary, it means defending this ambition by asserting firmness," Le Drian said.

EU sanctions against Russia are vital to show the bloc is strong, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday, referring to the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny with a nerve agent. Speaking at a conference in Slovakia, Le Drian also said that having a dialogue with Russia did not equate with doing the country a favour.

"It does not mean abandoning our ambition to build a peaceful continent. On the contrary, it means defending this ambition by asserting firmness," Le Drian said. Russian authorities have denied any role in Navalny's poisoning.