٠٠:٠٥:٥٩High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated that the bloc would 'end up paying a higher price' should it halt military support for Ukraine, speaking at a press conference at the Naval Military Academy in Marin on Friday.
"If we want to prevent the Russian army from crossing the Polish border, if we want to avoid Russia controlling 40% of the world grain market, for example, then we must continue to support this country," Borrell said.
"I firmly believe this, knowing that it will cost us and will cost them more, but if we don't do it, we will end up paying a higher price," he continued, adding that 'they resist and we help'.
Borrell noted that the EU took out a loan of 35 billion Euros to continue supporting Ukraine which will be paid for with 'the profits from Russian assets' held in European banks that were frozen following the onset of the war in 2022.
"The mobilisation of Russian troops on the border was not a joke.... Then we got up, and we committed ourselves to supporting Ukraine in its defence and economic functioning," he recalled.
To defend itself, Borrell said that Ukraine needs to be able to keep paying salaries, pensions, and infrastructure costs, noting that 70% of Ukraine's power infrastructure has been destroyed in the conflict.
"Putin in this cold weather, wants to put Ukraine in the dark. In the winter, it’s very cold in Ukraine," he observed.
Spain has welcomed more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees since the start of the war sparked the fastest-growing and largest European displacement crisis since World War II.
"They are being incorporated into our society. Most of them work. But Ukraine has lost about six million people," he continued.
Borrell noted that the war would 'last just another two weeks' if the EU suspended military aid to Ukraine, which he declared would have terrible consequences.
"Without our military aid and US aid, Ukraine cannot defend itself. We stop helping them and they will have to surrender. Yes, they may fight a few more days but we will end up having Russian troops in Kiev, a puppet government as we have in Belarus. As for Zelensky, the best he could hope for is that he would be killed," Borrell explained.
The EU foreign policy chief also drew attention to the challenges of the EU's industrial capacity, following a failure to deliver one million artillery shells to Ukraine.
"We have only delivered about 70,000 and outside the deadline because we do not have enough industrial capacity to produce them," he said.
"Because, since the war began, 70% of our purchases of military material have been made outside Europe. Our industry cannot keep up with the demand set by war. We buy from abroad what our armies need and that is not the best way to face the future either," Borrell noted.
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.
'We will end up paying a higher price' - Borrell on war economics if EU halts military support despite human cost to Ukraine
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated that the bloc would 'end up paying a higher price' should it halt military support for Ukraine, speaking at a press conference at the Naval Military Academy in Marin on Friday.
"If we want to prevent the Russian army from crossing the Polish border, if we want to avoid Russia controlling 40% of the world grain market, for example, then we must continue to support this country," Borrell said.
"I firmly believe this, knowing that it will cost us and will cost them more, but if we don't do it, we will end up paying a higher price," he continued, adding that 'they resist and we help'.
Borrell noted that the EU took out a loan of 35 billion Euros to continue supporting Ukraine which will be paid for with 'the profits from Russian assets' held in European banks that were frozen following the onset of the war in 2022.
"The mobilisation of Russian troops on the border was not a joke.... Then we got up, and we committed ourselves to supporting Ukraine in its defence and economic functioning," he recalled.
To defend itself, Borrell said that Ukraine needs to be able to keep paying salaries, pensions, and infrastructure costs, noting that 70% of Ukraine's power infrastructure has been destroyed in the conflict.
"Putin in this cold weather, wants to put Ukraine in the dark. In the winter, it’s very cold in Ukraine," he observed.
Spain has welcomed more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees since the start of the war sparked the fastest-growing and largest European displacement crisis since World War II.
"They are being incorporated into our society. Most of them work. But Ukraine has lost about six million people," he continued.
Borrell noted that the war would 'last just another two weeks' if the EU suspended military aid to Ukraine, which he declared would have terrible consequences.
"Without our military aid and US aid, Ukraine cannot defend itself. We stop helping them and they will have to surrender. Yes, they may fight a few more days but we will end up having Russian troops in Kiev, a puppet government as we have in Belarus. As for Zelensky, the best he could hope for is that he would be killed," Borrell explained.
The EU foreign policy chief also drew attention to the challenges of the EU's industrial capacity, following a failure to deliver one million artillery shells to Ukraine.
"We have only delivered about 70,000 and outside the deadline because we do not have enough industrial capacity to produce them," he said.
"Because, since the war began, 70% of our purchases of military material have been made outside Europe. Our industry cannot keep up with the demand set by war. We buy from abroad what our armies need and that is not the best way to face the future either," Borrell noted.
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.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated that the bloc would 'end up paying a higher price' should it halt military support for Ukraine, speaking at a press conference at the Naval Military Academy in Marin on Friday.
"If we want to prevent the Russian army from crossing the Polish border, if we want to avoid Russia controlling 40% of the world grain market, for example, then we must continue to support this country," Borrell said.
"I firmly believe this, knowing that it will cost us and will cost them more, but if we don't do it, we will end up paying a higher price," he continued, adding that 'they resist and we help'.
Borrell noted that the EU took out a loan of 35 billion Euros to continue supporting Ukraine which will be paid for with 'the profits from Russian assets' held in European banks that were frozen following the onset of the war in 2022.
"The mobilisation of Russian troops on the border was not a joke.... Then we got up, and we committed ourselves to supporting Ukraine in its defence and economic functioning," he recalled.
To defend itself, Borrell said that Ukraine needs to be able to keep paying salaries, pensions, and infrastructure costs, noting that 70% of Ukraine's power infrastructure has been destroyed in the conflict.
"Putin in this cold weather, wants to put Ukraine in the dark. In the winter, it’s very cold in Ukraine," he observed.
Spain has welcomed more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees since the start of the war sparked the fastest-growing and largest European displacement crisis since World War II.
"They are being incorporated into our society. Most of them work. But Ukraine has lost about six million people," he continued.
Borrell noted that the war would 'last just another two weeks' if the EU suspended military aid to Ukraine, which he declared would have terrible consequences.
"Without our military aid and US aid, Ukraine cannot defend itself. We stop helping them and they will have to surrender. Yes, they may fight a few more days but we will end up having Russian troops in Kiev, a puppet government as we have in Belarus. As for Zelensky, the best he could hope for is that he would be killed," Borrell explained.
The EU foreign policy chief also drew attention to the challenges of the EU's industrial capacity, following a failure to deliver one million artillery shells to Ukraine.
"We have only delivered about 70,000 and outside the deadline because we do not have enough industrial capacity to produce them," he said.
"Because, since the war began, 70% of our purchases of military material have been made outside Europe. Our industry cannot keep up with the demand set by war. We buy from abroad what our armies need and that is not the best way to face the future either," Borrell noted.
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.