The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, stated this Tuesday at the Forum Europa in Brussels that, although Ukraine is not yet a member of the European Union, it is not possible to "dissociate the destiny of the Ukrainian people from that of the European Union".
During a meeting organised by the New Economy Forum in the EU capital, Josep Borrell asserted that Europeans "have to fulfil our moral and political obligation towards Ukraine" in its defence against Russian aggression.
The Vice-President of the Commission clearly stated that the situation in the territory is extremely difficult, as the Russian military machine "is working at full speed", and unlike Kiev, the Kremlin can maintain a prolonged war of attrition, despite the cost.
The war in Ukraine, he said, "has brutally revealed the world as it is and not as we wanted it to be", and stressed that although Ukraine is not yet a member of the European Union it is not possible to "dissociate the fate of the Ukrainian people from that of the European Union".
He also warned that Vladimir Putin's aim is to extend his threat to the whole of Europe, through destabilisation, not just bombing, and called for vigilance in the upcoming European elections, from 6th to the 9 th of June, since "destabilising activities will threaten our democracy".
Borrell announced that, in a couple of weeks, he will ask the EU's foreign affairs and defence ministers to increase Ukraine's anti-aircraft defence capabilities so that it can stop the Russian missile and drone attacks that are destroying its urban infrastructures.
In this regard, he said that he recently met with the Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, who asked him "desperately for seven 'Patriot' batteries". For the High Representative, it would be "inconceivable" that the countries of the EU club would not be able to provide them with these defences, when Western armies "have around 100 'Patriot' batteries".
