EU fails to provide Ukraine enough aid to counter Russian strikes – Borrell
Photo: Josep Borrell, top EU diplomat (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The European Union has struggled this year to make progress toward a just resolution of the war against Ukraine. The EU is facing numerous crises and challenges, according to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell.
Borrell reminded that this year the EU allocated €122 billion in aid to Ukraine, including €45 billion in military support. Additionally, the EU authorized the use of income from frozen Russian assets to ensure future assistance to Ukraine.
"But despite all that, we have not managed to provide Ukraine with sufficient resources to protect itself from the constant air attacks on its civilian and energy infrastructures. The winter is going to be very harsh for Ukrainians, with massive power cuts," he said.
In his opinion, the European Union has not provided Ukraine with enough ammunition to prevent the advancement of the Russian army. He also considers the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the war against Ukraine a "worrying step" toward the internationalization of the conflict.
In his statement, Borrell calls Russia's war against Ukraine an "existential threat" to the European Union. He believes a Russian victory would lead to the continuation of "imperial policy" against Georgia and Moldova as well.
Ammunition for Ukraine
In March last year, EU defense and foreign ministers agreed on a plan for joint ammunition procurement aimed at supplying Ukraine with 1 million shells within a year. Later, the EU admitted it might not be able to fully implement this plan.
Earlier, Borrell stated that the EU is close to fulfilling its promise of providing Ukraine with a year’s supply of artillery shells, with deliveries nearing the pledged amount.
He also noted that the European Union would put diplomatic pressure on North Korea for sending troops to the war in Ukraine.
