MOSCOW (Sputnik), Anna Liatsou — Russians travel to the European Union, not with weapons, as was feared by some, but with wealth, Vojislav Seselj, former deputy prime minister of Serbia, told Sputnik Thursday.
"EU also looks the way it does as a result of the fear and the intimidation that ‘the Russians are coming.’… Russians indeed did come to the EU, but not with weapons as it was expected, but with wealth," Seselj said.
Relations between Russia and the European Union went downhill in 2014, when Brussels joined Washington in accusing Moscow of fueling the Ukrainian crisis, imposing economic sanctions against it.
NATO has accused Moscow of military aggression against Ukraine, saying that the Kremlin helps eastern Ukraine's independence supporters with arms and troops. Russia has dismissed the claims, saying they lack evidence.
