EU Mulls over New Sanctions for Russia over Navalny Case

The European Union is working on a proposal to sanction Russia over the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, who suffered a near-fatal nerve-agent attack that he and Western governments blamed on Russian intelligence services.

EU ambassadors discussed the punitive measures at a meeting on Wednesday, according to two diplomats familiar with the discussion. No member states objected to the proposal, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks were private.

European Commission spokesman Peter Stano declined to comment on the discussions, but added that "work is ongoing" on possible actions. EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday that the EU's next steps could include sanctions and that he would "put forward concrete proposals."

The sanction discussion comes after Borrell weathered intense criticism over a humiliating trip to Moscow last week, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov used a joint press conference to disparage the bloc, criticizing the EU as an unreliable partner. Russia simultaneously announced that it would expel diplomats from Poland, Germany and Sweden for their "recorded participation" in protests against the imprisonment of Navalny. The EU countries reciprocated in kind.

After returning from Moscow, Borrell said that "Europe and Russia are drifting apart."

At Wednesday's meeting, at least 10 ambassadors expressed their disappointment at how Borrell's visit went, according to a diplomatic note seen by Bloomberg. Most of the same governments welcomed that the discussion was shifting to tangible action, including sanctions.

The note added that the EU's foreign ministers could take an initial decision on any restrictive measures when they meet on Feb...