Russia clashes with Europe over democratic freedoms

RUSSIA and the European Union clashed yesterday over democratic freedoms in Russia at a contentious summit on the banks of the Volga River.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed concern after anti-Kremlin campaigners planning a protest near the summit venue were prevented from travelling there by Russian authorities.

“I hope that they will be able to express their opinion,” Merkel told a joint news conference at the end of the two-day summit.