Moscow is anticipating difficult relations with the European Union given the politicians put forward to lead the bloc over the years ahead, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
Kaja Kallas, the Estonian prime minister pencilled in to head the bloc's foreign policy unit, had not to date stood out through her diplomatic skills, Peskov said, according to reports by Russian news agencies.
He described Kallas as "well known to [Russia] for her absolutely unacceptable and sometimes extremely Russophobic remarks."
Peskov was similarly critical of Ursula von der Leyen, who has been put forward for a second term as European Commission president.
"The prospects for the relationship between Moscow and Brussels are poor," Peskov said, adding that a normalization of relations could not be expected.
Relations between the two deteriorated following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The EU recently passed its 14th package of sanctions targeting Russia and its leaders.