Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is becoming increasingly merciless, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday, as strikes were reported on residential areas. “The Russian military campaign is becoming more and more ruthless and Ukrainian armed forces are fighting back with courage,” Borrell told journalists.
“There are a lot of civilian casualties… and the flow of people looking for shelter, escaping the war is increasing.”
The EU on Sunday unveiled a 450-million-euro ($500-million) package to fund the supply of weapons to Ukraine, the first time the bloc has agreed to send arms to a third country. Borrell said the EU had in addition “mobilised” its satellite centre in Madrid to provide Ukraine with geospatial intelligence following a request from Kyiv.
Borrell sought to clarify a statement he made Sunday that the 27-nation bloc would supply fighter jets to Ukraine. “Some European countries, if they want to, bilaterally can mobilise any kind of aid to help Ukraine to defend itself, and they also need aircraft,” Borrell said.
“But they would have to be those European countries, if they have them, that have fighter jets which could be piloted by the Ukrainian air force pilots.”
In addition to military support, the EU has also unleashed its strongest-ever barrage of sanctions against Moscow, including blocking transactions with Russia’s central bank.
Major energy exporter Russia has threatened to hit back over the measures, and Borrell warned EU citizens that punishing Moscow was “going to have a price”. “Sanctions will backlash. Sanctions have a cost,” Borrell said. “But we have to be ready to pay this price now because, if not, we will have to pay a much bigger price in the future.”
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