The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said on Wednesday 5 January that Europeans should not be left out of the discussions on Europe’s security.
Mr Borrell travelled to eastern Ukraine to offer the EU’s support to the country while Russian troops are still massed on the Ukrainian border.
For the High Representative, Russia and the United States are not the only actors to be involved when talking about security in Europe. “Europe must be at the table” in the talks, he told a press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. US and Russian officials will meet on 10 January to discuss the situation before a NATO-Russia meeting on 12 January.
“Any discussion on Europe’s security must include the EU and Ukraine”, the High Representative said. He went on to insist that: “Any discussion about Ukraine must involve Ukraine, first of all. And to talk about security without Europe cannot be done without, not only the consultation but the participation of the Europeans”.
Mr Borrell highlighted that this is no longer the “era of Yalta”. “The delimitation of a sphere of influence of the two big powers does not belong to 2022”, he added.
The head of EU diplomacy said that Europe was in contact with the United States, NATO, but also like-minded partners to work towards the easing of tensions and the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. He also noted that any military aggression by Russia would have severe consequences.
For his part, Mr Kuleba said that his country and the EU were “standing shoulder to shoulder” to counter Russia’s aggressive actions, both through diplomacy and practical measures, citing the EU’s €31 million assistance to his country’s armed forces through the ‘European Peace Facility’ (see EUROPE 12845/20).
Earlier in the day, French Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian had stressed “the importance of close coordination among Europeans ahead of the discussions planned with Russia in different formats in the coming week” (see EUROPE 12860/14) as well as in view of the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on 13-14 January.
He said that Europe had a responsibility to contribute and participate actively, with concrete proposals, in the preparation and conduct of these discussions with Russia, which “involve their own security interests”. European nations will continue to coordinate closely with each other and within the transatlantic relationship, he warned. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)