Josepa Borrel’s trip to Donbass was the first visit of the head of European diplomacy to the zone of armed conflict from its early 2014. It is also the first foreign visit of the EU Supreme Representative on Foreign Policy and Security Policy this year. Reports about it Deutsche Welle.
The publication notes that the concentration of troops on the Ukrainian border and the threat of escalation of the conflict in the Donbas was becoming a reason for such a visit.
“Our main goal is to reduce tensions. This should occur during negotiations and through strict statements about the support of Ukraine,” said Borrel. “Any military aggression against Ukraine will have large-scale consequences and a huge price,” the head of European diplomacy emphasized.
Borrel criticized the Kremlin’s attempt again to divide the European continent on the spheres of influence: “We now do not live in Yalta. Definition of the spheres of influence between two large forces in 2021-2022 is impossible.”
Borrel tried to dispel the concerns of some Ukrainian experts and politicians who allow the West to negotiate with the Kremlin about Ukraine without the participation of Kiev. writes DW. He stressed that Ukraine is “part of Europe”, and noted the inflexibility of the principle of Kiev’s participation in solving all security problems. “It is clear that any discussion about European security should include the European Union and Ukraine. In any discussion about Ukraine, Ukraine must participate primarily,” the EU Supreme Representative on Foreign Policy said.
Burlel’s visit to Ukraine has passed a few days to the important negotiations of Russia with the United States, NATO and the OSCE. “The decisive statements of the head of European diplomacy suggest that the EU has changed its attitude towards Russia and now belongs to it enough. Against the background of the upcoming negotiations with Putin, Brussels thus spends their” red lines “and makes it clear that the Kremlin is not a moderator of processes. Safety, “said DW Ukrainian expert International Alexander Leonov.