The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, launched this Monday in Luxembourg the challenge for Lula da Silva to visit Ukraine. The head of European diplomacy believes that in order to talk about peace with “credibility and honesty”, it is necessary to know on the ground “who is the aggressor and who is being attacked”.
“You have to be very clear about what is happening. There is an aggressor who has violated the United Nations Charter and invaded another country, and there is a victim of that aggression,” said Borrell, since “you can’t accept this kind of Venezuelan approach, which says one doesn’t want to stop and the other doesn’t want to.”
“You cannot put the aggressor and the attacked in the same bag,” defended the head of diplomacy, since it will be necessary to see the result of the Russian aggression against Ukraine on the ground.
“I want to remind all people who call for peace of the terrible situation. I too call for peace. But where were those calls when Russia was assembling troops at the borders?” interrogated.
“We all want peace and the Ukrainians first and until then we will continue to support the defense of Ukraine,” Borrell said, challenging those who speak about peace in Ukraine.
“Recently, China and also Brazil released some ideas about peace. For credible and fair peace efforts, you need to talk to Kiev and go there to see the aggression through its eyes and the eyes of those being bombed.” , defended Borrell.
Brussels had already distanced itself from Lula da Silva’s statements a week ago, when Brazil’s president accused the European Union and the United States, but also other countries that help Ukraine defend itself, such as Portugal, to also assume responsibility. wear in war.
High Representative for Foreign Policy spokesman Peter Stano recalled that the European Union has helped Ukraine defend its own existence, despite the invasion launched in February last year.
“It is not true that the European Union and the United States are helping prolong the conflict,” the spokesman said, recalling that “the truth is that Ukraine is the victim of unlawful aggression in violation of the United Nations Charter.” . .
It is for this reason, he says, that “the European Union and the United States and other international partners support Ukraine in its legitimate defense”.
“If they didn’t,” emphasizes the spokesperson, “Ukraine would be destroyed,” that is, “the Ukrainian nation and Ukraine, as a country, would be destroyed, as these are the declared objectives of the war of [Vladimir] Putin”.
Peter Stano claims that even before the war started, the 27 tried to engage in a “civilized dialogue” with Moscow, only to have a full-scale war against Ukraine in response on February 24, 2022.
“The European Union supported peace initiatives long before Putin decided to launch this bloodshed against the Ukrainian people,” despite the 27 having “on several occasions” offered Russia the opportunity to address its concerns in a civilized manner at the negotiating table,” he said. , recalling that “the answer was last February’s unfortunate aggression”.
Peter Stano said his remarks were not a direct response to the Brazilian president’s accusation, stating that “Russia is killing Ukrainian citizens, destroying Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, (…) kidnapping Ukrainian children, (…) to steal Ukrainian property and territory “.
“The United States and the European Union, along with other international partners, what we are doing, we are helping Ukraine to exercise its legitimate right of self-defense. Russia is violating the UN Charter,” stated Stano, recalling that “this is also recognized by Brazil”.
Source: DN
