"First of all, I share entirely the view of [Ukrainian President] Petro Poroshenko about the intent of the Russian government to split the European Union from inside. The anti-European skeptics, anti-Islamic, Islamophobic, homophobic – whatever kind of parties – are strongly represented in the European Parliament. I listen to them with my colleagues every day, and if I compare the rhetoric of Putin's party in Russia with the messages these people are spreading all over Europe, it is similar. And this is not a surprise for me," Schulz said at a presidential panel of the Munich conference on Saturday.
There are persistent rumors about euro-sceptical parties and movements being targeted for Russian support, he noted.
"We decided in the second half of the 20th century that one principle to prevent the repetition of mistakes of the first part of the century is transnational solidarity, and based on mutual respect … We have parties in the EU in governments, in office, that are putting obviously in doubt the principle of solidarity, the principle of mutual respect and the principle of transnational democracy," Schulz said.
