Alexey Navalny - Photo Evgeny Feldman (BRUSSELS) - Russia is drifting towards an authoritarian state and away from Europe, EU foreign affairs ministers said Monday, agreeing sanctions in response to the detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. "In response to the events around the situation of Mr. Navalny we reached a political agreement to impose restrictive measures against those responsible for his arrest, sentencing and persecution," said the EU's foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell: "For the first time ever we will make use of the EU Global Human Rights Regime to this end." Ministers restated their unity of intent on relations with Rusia and discussed how these could develop within the framework of the five guiding principles and focused on: pushing back on infringements of international law and human rights, containing disinformation and cyberattacks, but also engaging on issues of interest to the EU.