Europe takes too long to decide on aid to Ukraine - Borrell
This was stated by EU High Representative Josep Borrell on Monday, before the start of the meeting of European ministers, reports the correspondent of Ukrinform.
"The war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East - these two items will be very high on the agenda today, mainly because Putin has responded to any attempts to talk, to negotiate by launching the heaviest attack against civilian infrastructure, in particular electricity. It was the heaviest attack in months, using a high number of drones, attacking civilian power grids. It does not look like he’s willing to negotiate, it’s on the contrary," Borrell said.
He recalled that at the beginning of his mandate five years ago, he stressed that the EU should learn to use the language of power. But in order to use such language and demonstrate power, unity of member states is necessary.
"If you are not united, you cannot show power. Too many times we have not been united. Too many times discussions took too long. You cannot pretend to be a geopolitical force if you take days, weeks, and months to reach an agreement in order to act. So my last call to my colleagues will be – be more united, take decisions quicker, events do not wait for you. Russia is not stopping the war because you are thinking about it," said the EU high representative.
He stressed that every time the EU Council takes a decision on Ukraine, it takes too long, every time there are fluctuations about what should or should not be done as the war is raging. The Ukrainian people need EU support, so the member states should stop these long discussions and act quicker.
"Sorry that maybe I will not be able to make my last proposal about the European Peace Facility (to introduce voluntary contributions from member states, to bypass Hungary's veto on the use of EUR 6.1 billion for aid to Ukraine - ed.), but I still I have a hope,” he said, adding that the EU must continue to support Ukraine as much as it can and as quickly as possible.
He recalled that he recently visited Ukraine, and for three days he spoke with people, visited army units, drone and other arms factories. According to Borrell, the visit proved that the situation in Ukraine has not changed even after the presidential election in the U.S.
As reported, on November 18, the EU foreign affairs ministerial is being held in Brussels, where the first and one of the main issues on the agenda is the situation of Ukraine. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, will join the event via teleconference. Tomorrow, the discussion of the situation in Ukraine will continue in the format of a defense ministerial, with the virtual participation of the head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Rustem Umerov.
