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Russian diplomats have been expelled from Berlin, Stockholm and Warsaw in a swift co-ordinated response following Russia's expulsion of diplomats from the the three countries who were accused of monitoring pro-Navalny protests in Moscow and St Petersburg.

Russia has today announced that it will expel three European diplomats for their attendance at demonstrations for the release of the jailed Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny. This decision comes alongside a visit by the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, to Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, met in Moscow on Friday (5 February). In a press conference after the first part of their talks the two senior diplomats appeared to be struggling to identify common ground for future co-operation whilst wanting to sound tough on their respective positions, especially on the ongoing controversies surrounding Alexei Navalny and Russian clampdown on his supporters.

Amongst other things, the German MEP says the EU needs to focus more on resolving conflicts in its eastern neighbourhood.

It’s now nearly 12-years since the establishment of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) – a joint initiative bringing together the EU, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. In this episode, Will Murray speaks to Viola von Cramon-Taubadel MEP about the EU’s neighbourhood policy to the east and how it should move forwards.

Sweden is trying to use its one year chairmanship of the OSCE to bring back focus to the organisation after a difficult period last year, and a growing sense that the organisation was drifting away from its original mandate on European security. Russia is central to this process, since it is seen as being at odds with the Helsinki Final Act - the OSCE's milestone document - in both its internal policies, as well as in its relations with its neighbours.

The visit of the EU High Representative to Russia on Thursday will provide an opportunity to have wide-ranging discussions with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other Russian interlocutors ahead of the European Council’s strategic discussion on EU-Russia relations scheduled for March.