Borrell responds to claims of EU’s insufficient support of Ukraine
He made the corresponding statement in New York, during a speech during a meeting under the auspices of the Foreign Affairs Council on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, reports an Ukrinform correspondent.
"For the first time (at the outset of the invasion – ed.), we have been granting military aid to Ukraine. Believe me, it's not negligible. I was listening the other day, to one of the United States candidates saying: ‘the Europeans are not doing their part’. Well, if I add up all that we are doing for Ukraine – militarily, economically, financially, humanitarian – it is more than you. It is more than EUR 130 billion. Yes, the military side is smaller, but it is still EUR 45 billion, which is not negligible. Certainly, without the United States, Ukraine would not be able to resist. But [the European Union’s support] is not negligible, EUR 45 billion on military support," noted Josep Borrell.
He emphasized that in the political dimension, the EU granted Ukraine the status of a candidate state and the prospect of EU membership, which, according to Borrell, was "unthinkable" before the start of a full-scale Russian war. Just now, the EU is providing Ukraine with colossal support by “taking 5 million refugees”.
At the same time, according to the EU high representative, the war in Ukraine remains an asymmetric one.
Josep Borrell recalled that before the war, Russia was the world’s top fourth country in terms of defense spending, while Ukraine ranked 37th. This unbalance still exists today, but it is leveled by the efforts of Ukraine’s defenders.
"But I have been in Kyiv. I have been in a factory of drones in the underground [level] of a building. I see saw these people inventing and building 500 drones per day. They are like a small pizza. They can fly about 50 kilometers. They can transport 3 kilograms explosive capacity. They cost about EUR 500. With that, they can destroy a tank. Thanks to these kinds of new arms that they are developing, they have resisted," said the chief European diplomat.
He noted that he does not agree with restrictions on the use of Western weapons against legitimate targets inside Russia because the Russians are attacking Ukraine from their own territory. But the Ukrainians have learned to produce their own missiles that can hit targets at a range of up to 500km and even up to 1,000km. Those missiles recently destroyed a large munitions depot in Russia, causing what Borrell said was an "incredible explosion, 3.0 degrees on the Richter scale." This strike by the Ukrainians saved many lives, he noted.
"I think that we have to support Ukraine more and quicker. We have to establish a military balance, because Putin will not go to the negotiation table unless he believes that he is losing. We have to give Ukraine an economic and a strategic power in front of Russia and let them to decide what it is or not acceptable. But we have to support them, because without us, without you and us, Ukraine will have to surrender in a couple of weeks. Despite their whole [efforts], they are strongly dependent on our support," noted the EU high representative.
As reported earlier, the 79th session of the UN General Assembly is underway in New York. On September 24-28 and 30, high-level general debates take place.
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