Josep Borrell condemns Russia’s war as he says meeting is taking place ‘within the future borders of the EU’
The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell has called Russia’s war in Ukraine an “existential threat” to Europe, after convening a “historic” meeting on Monday of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv.
It comes as Ukraine said US support had “not shattered” after funding doubts were raised by Republicans over the weekend.
Borrell said the informal summit was the first time the foreign ministers would meet outside existing EU territory. It underscored Europe’s “continuing” support for Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government, he said, more than 18 months after Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
“This war is having deep consequences for the whole world. Maybe it’s not seen like this by everybody around the world. But for us Europeans, it’s an existential threat,” Borrell said, standing next to Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba.
Borrell – the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs – reaffirmed Brussels’ commitment to Ukraine’s EU membership. Monday’s meeting was taking place “within the future borders of the European Union,” he said, and amounted to a “message of support”.
Discussions will take place amid concerns over cracks in US funding for the war and after a pro-Russian populist party won the most votes in an election in Slovakia on Saturday.
