The head of European diplomacy on Tuesday appealed to European citizens not to give in to their support for Ukraine, pointing out that the success of Ukraine’s counter-offensive is proof that the strategy of the EU and its allies is working.
Speaking during a debate in the European Parliament, in the French city of Strasbourg, in a debate on the latest developments in the conflict on Ukrainian soil, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin “hopes that the weak and fragile democracies will not maintain support for Ukraine over the winter because of gas, cold and prices,” stressing the importance of this not happening..
“We must take advantage of this circumstance in which Ukraine has launched a counter-offensive that is more successful than expected, including for ourselves. This shows that the strategy we have followed from the start is the right one and that we must continue to apply it. It is not the time to give up, on the contrary, it is the time to redouble our efforts,” he said.
Borrell insisted that “support should be maintained as it has been proven to be effective.”
“Who would have thought, when Putin launched the war, that six months later the Russian army would go on the defensive or withdraw? [dos ucranianos] in the defense of their country, but also thanks to the support we have given, because wars are won with weapons,” emphasized the Spanish politician.
“And I want to take advantage of this stage, namely the European Parliament, to address European citizens and ask them not to give in to their support for Ukraine. This is not the time to water down this support, because it works , and because we must maintain to achieve a situation that allows the resolution of the conflict, which respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine”he added.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assured the military had recaptured nearly 6,000 square miles (km2) of Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine since the counter-offensive launched in early September.
“Since the beginning of September, our soldiers have liberated almost 6,000 km2 of Ukrainian territory in the east and south, and we are still moving forward,” the Ukrainian head of state emphasized in the usual nighttime video addressed to the nation.
In particular, Volodymyr Zelensky thanked three military units and praised their “courage” in the operation that enabled them to recapture territory captured by Russian troops.
If consolidated, these gains would be the largest for Ukraine since the withdrawal of Russian troops from outside Kiev in late March.
The Ukrainian army first announced a counter-offensive in the south, before making a lightning advance last week into the Kharkov region on the Russian border in the northeast of the country, forcing Moscow soldiers to withdraw to other positions.
Ukrainian authorities have also had success in the Russian-occupied Kherson region to the south and on the border with annexed Crimea, and in the eastern regions under control of pro-Russian separatists since 2014.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on Feb. 24 has already led to more than 13 million people fleeing — more than six million internally displaced persons and more than seven million to European countries — according to the latest UN data. , which ranks this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion – justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the generality of the international community, which has responded by sending arms to Ukraine and Russia of political and economic sanctions.
The UN has confirmed more than 5,800 dead civilians and about 8,400 injured since the start of the war, stressing that these numbers are far below the actual number.
Source: DN
