05:39EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell praised Ukraine for its attack on Kursk as he called on member states to lift restrictions on Kiev's use of weapons against Russia, amid informal talks with foreign ministers - and Ukraine's own Dmytro Kuleba - in Brussels on Thursday.
"The Ukrainian government has shown a lot of strategic audacity launching attacks inside Russian territory," he said in a press conference in Brussels on Thursday. "This operation in Kursk has dealt a blow to Putin's narrative about this war."
The EU leader reiterated his call to lift restrictions on Kiev’s use of weaponry: "The weaponry that we have been providing to Ukraine have to have full-use and the restrictions have to be lifted in order for the Ukrainians to be able to target the places where Russia is bombing them. Otherwise the weaponry is useless."
Various countries have lifted certain restrictions, although the ongoing row centres of the use of weaponry on Russian territory, which many leaders have avoided commenting on - despite allegations that it is already taking place. Kiev has also been calling for the lifting of measures on long-range strikes deep inside Russia, which Moscow has condemned.
Borrell also announced that for the first time, the EU is financing Ukraine's industry directly through Russian frozen assets, adding that 1.4 billion Euros have already been sent to Kiev.
"The windfall profits from these frozen assets have already been sent to Ukraine and sent to the member states who will provide with this money, more military equipment," he continued. "We are financing for the Ukrainians to make their own industrial capacity to work.”
"Until now, the European peace facility where reimbursing the money to the member state have provided support to Ukraine. Now, we give money directly to Ukraine," he said. Russia has described the move as 'illegal'.
Borrell refused to comment on his relocation of the foreign ministers' meeting from Budapest, which followed a row in which he strongly criticised Hungarian PM Viktor Orban's own 'peace plan' and visits to both Kiev and Moscow.
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region on August 6 in an offensive described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a 'large-scale provocation'. A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9, while more than 133,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk border districts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as 'purely [a] security issue for Ukraine', with fighting ongoing.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Ukraine has shown 'strategic audacity' - Borrell praises attack on Kursk, says €1.4 bn from frozen Russian assets sent 'directly' to Kiev
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell praised Ukraine for its attack on Kursk as he called on member states to lift restrictions on Kiev's use of weapons against Russia, amid informal talks with foreign ministers - and Ukraine's own Dmytro Kuleba - in Brussels on Thursday.
"The Ukrainian government has shown a lot of strategic audacity launching attacks inside Russian territory," he said in a press conference in Brussels on Thursday. "This operation in Kursk has dealt a blow to Putin's narrative about this war."
The EU leader reiterated his call to lift restrictions on Kiev’s use of weaponry: "The weaponry that we have been providing to Ukraine have to have full-use and the restrictions have to be lifted in order for the Ukrainians to be able to target the places where Russia is bombing them. Otherwise the weaponry is useless."
Various countries have lifted certain restrictions, although the ongoing row centres of the use of weaponry on Russian territory, which many leaders have avoided commenting on - despite allegations that it is already taking place. Kiev has also been calling for the lifting of measures on long-range strikes deep inside Russia, which Moscow has condemned.
Borrell also announced that for the first time, the EU is financing Ukraine's industry directly through Russian frozen assets, adding that 1.4 billion Euros have already been sent to Kiev.
"The windfall profits from these frozen assets have already been sent to Ukraine and sent to the member states who will provide with this money, more military equipment," he continued. "We are financing for the Ukrainians to make their own industrial capacity to work.”
"Until now, the European peace facility where reimbursing the money to the member state have provided support to Ukraine. Now, we give money directly to Ukraine," he said. Russia has described the move as 'illegal'.
Borrell refused to comment on his relocation of the foreign ministers' meeting from Budapest, which followed a row in which he strongly criticised Hungarian PM Viktor Orban's own 'peace plan' and visits to both Kiev and Moscow.
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region on August 6 in an offensive described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a 'large-scale provocation'. A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9, while more than 133,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk border districts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as 'purely [a] security issue for Ukraine', with fighting ongoing.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell praised Ukraine for its attack on Kursk as he called on member states to lift restrictions on Kiev's use of weapons against Russia, amid informal talks with foreign ministers - and Ukraine's own Dmytro Kuleba - in Brussels on Thursday.
"The Ukrainian government has shown a lot of strategic audacity launching attacks inside Russian territory," he said in a press conference in Brussels on Thursday. "This operation in Kursk has dealt a blow to Putin's narrative about this war."
The EU leader reiterated his call to lift restrictions on Kiev’s use of weaponry: "The weaponry that we have been providing to Ukraine have to have full-use and the restrictions have to be lifted in order for the Ukrainians to be able to target the places where Russia is bombing them. Otherwise the weaponry is useless."
Various countries have lifted certain restrictions, although the ongoing row centres of the use of weaponry on Russian territory, which many leaders have avoided commenting on - despite allegations that it is already taking place. Kiev has also been calling for the lifting of measures on long-range strikes deep inside Russia, which Moscow has condemned.
Borrell also announced that for the first time, the EU is financing Ukraine's industry directly through Russian frozen assets, adding that 1.4 billion Euros have already been sent to Kiev.
"The windfall profits from these frozen assets have already been sent to Ukraine and sent to the member states who will provide with this money, more military equipment," he continued. "We are financing for the Ukrainians to make their own industrial capacity to work.”
"Until now, the European peace facility where reimbursing the money to the member state have provided support to Ukraine. Now, we give money directly to Ukraine," he said. Russia has described the move as 'illegal'.
Borrell refused to comment on his relocation of the foreign ministers' meeting from Budapest, which followed a row in which he strongly criticised Hungarian PM Viktor Orban's own 'peace plan' and visits to both Kiev and Moscow.
Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region on August 6 in an offensive described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a 'large-scale provocation'. A counter-terrorist operation regime was introduced in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions on August 9, while more than 133,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk border districts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as 'purely [a] security issue for Ukraine', with fighting ongoing.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.