The new EU anti-Russian sanctions show that its leadership is not ready to reconsider its approach toward Moscow, even at the cost of discrediting itself as a serious diplomatic partner, a group of German parliamentarians told RIA Novosti.

On Tuesday, the European Union imposed sanctions on four Russian citizens for the first time under the new global regime for human rights abuses, which was the result of the arrest of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny.

The new EU sanctions concern the internal procedures of the judicial and law enforcement authorities of the Russian Federation. Our position is clear: do not interfere, said Siegbert Droese, a member of the Bundestag's Alternative for Germany party.

He was supported by his party colleague Harald Weyel, who represents the EU Affairs Committee in the Bundestag. The EU is discrediting itself as a serious diplomatic partner in its attempts to oversee Russia's policy through sanctions, he said.

According to the politician, we are talking about double standards. In particular, the European Union is obviously using its legal system to put pressure on the opposition, but at the same time wants to punish foreign law enforcement officers who do the same, Weyel said.