Josep Borrell, at the press conference following the meeting of the Council of Foreign Affairs, said: the sanctions introduced by the European Union have a significant impact on the Russian economy, but further discussion is needed on what measures can be taken in the future.
The head of EU diplomacy declared: Russia's war in Ukraine has failed. The Russian army was unable to take Kiev, now it is consolidating its forces in the eastern half of the country. He is expected to prepare for another strike in the Donbass region, he said.
Russia is responsible for the global food crisis
Borrell emphasized that Russia's war in Ukraine is "horrific". He stated: Russia is responsible for the global food crisis. Russia is bombing Ukrainian cities and wheat stocks, as well as preventing grain from being shipped abroad, thus "inciting hunger in the world," he pointed out.
He said the foreign ministers discussed how to hold Russia accountable for its large-scale violations of international law. The European Union supports the international investigation so that, with sufficient evidence, those responsible can be held accountable for the murder of civilians, which is considered a war crime, said the High Representative.
Everything that happens in Ukraine confirms the commitment of the European Union to support the country, he emphasized.
Hungary participates in the supply of weapons to Ukraine
In response to a question, Borrell said: as a result of the unanimous vote of the member states, the European Union supports the delivery of weapons to Ukraine with the consent of its member states.
"It's another matter that Hungary does not allow arms shipments directly to Ukraine, but pays its own share, so it participates in the arms supply of Ukraine," he said.
New suppliers must be found
He pointed out that the eastern member states of the EU are under more pressure to accept refugees from the war, and these countries also rely more on Russian energy sources. This "asymmetrical" situation between the eastern and western member states of the Union must be handled jointly, uniformly and with a declaration of solidarity, he underlined.
It is necessary to fight to end the large-scale dependence on Russian energy as soon as possible, to find new suppliers and to strive for the introduction of renewable energy sources, added the head of EU diplomacy.
MTI
Photo: Josep Borrell - Photo: OLIVIER HOSLET / AFP
