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EU Foreign Affairs Representative Borrell on the Ukraine conflict: "We stand by your side"

2021-12-05T13:28:12.604Z


The EU reacts with concern to reports of a deployment of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border. Security expert Borrell stressed that Ukraine is seen as an ally.


Enlarge image

Josep Borrell at an event on November 29th

Photo: Toni Albir / EPA

EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell expressed his concern about the situation on the Ukrainian border: “Ukraine is certainly a partner, an ally.

So we stand by their side, ”said the EU representative for foreign and security policy in an interview with the Italian daily newspaper“ La Repubblica ”.

At the meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Stockholm, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied any kind of warfare activities.

According to Borrell, it is now a matter of showing Moscow an "outlook of possible consequences."

"We have to stay in the pre-crisis phase," the 74-year-old Spaniard continued.

He did not illustrate in detail what could happen in the event of an attack by Russia.

"It depends on.

Can you imagine a real invasion like the one in Crimea?

I don't know, ”said Borrell.

One must try to avoid a worsening of the situation.

Troop movements on the border

Most recently, tensions between Russia and the West have increased again over the conflict in Ukraine.

In view of Russian troop movements on the border with Ukraine, there are fears that Moscow could attack the neighboring country.

The government in Kiev warned on Friday of a major Russian attack in late January.

These fears were fueled by a report in the Washington Post.

Accordingly, Moscow's plans include "extensive movements of a hundred battalions of tactical units with an estimated 175,000 men, along with tanks, artillery and equipment."

Moscow denies the attack plans.

In return, the Kremlin accuses Ukraine of letting the West arm itself with military equipment and denounces NATO military maneuvers near the Russian borders.

Putin warned the West and Ukraine against crossing the Kremlin's "red lines".

The chairman of the EPP group in the EU Parliament, Manfred Weber, also warned of a military escalation of the conflict.

"This situation is very worrying, an escalation of the war in eastern Ukraine cannot be ruled out," he told the "Bild am Sonntag".

The situation is "a test for NATO and the Western community of values." He also called on the traffic light coalition to act.

It was important that NATO made it clear that "Russian action against Ukraine will come at a high price."

This high price must now also be named, demanded Weber in the direction of the traffic light coalition.

"If Putin uses weapons, then the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will come to an end." The future federal government must clearly state this price.

Encounter with NATO reconnaissance jet?

In this situation, authorities in Russia reported on Saturday evening that a Russian passenger plane had to avoid a NATO reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea.

The reconnaissance jet had "sunk quickly" and crossed the route of the Airbus of the Russian airline Aeroflot, said the Interfax news agency, citing the Russian aviation authority.

Accordingly, the crew of the reconnaissance aircraft did not react to the reports from the air traffic controllers, which is why the scheduled aircraft changed its route.

According to Interfax, the Russian plane sank 500 meters to gain distance from the reconnaissance plane.

The pilots could therefore see it from the cockpit.

The passenger plane with 142 people on board was on its way from Tel Aviv to Moscow, it said.

According to the aviation authority, a private jet that flew from the Russian seaside resort of Sochi to the North Macedonian capital Skopje also had to change course.

They will "protest" through diplomatic channels, the authority declared.

She did not state which country the reconnaissance aircraft came from.

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin plan to hold a video summit on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday.

Government spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that Biden will "underscore US concerns about Russian military activities on the border with Ukraine and reaffirm US support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine".

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stressed on Saturday that Washington is taking the situation seriously.

"You have carried out an invasion before," he said, evidently referring to the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Moscow.

"If we look at the number of armed forces in the border region," there is certainly "cause for concern."

jme / dpa / AFP

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-12-05

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