Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Josep Borrell urged EU members to align with the US, allowing Ukraine to strike inside Russia with long-range missiles.
The EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell insisted member states align with the United States in permitting Ukraine to strike inside Russia using donated long-range missiles. Speaking to reporters before heading his final EU defence ministers’ meeting – 1,000 days after Russia’s invasion – Borrell hailed the US policy shift as “very good news” for Ukraine.
How does Borrell propose EU align with US policy?
“Today we will discuss it, and I hope that all member states will follow the US decision,”
he said.
“I’m sure that they will follow the example of the US to allow the Ukrainians to use their arms to fight against the Russians inside Russian territory – because it is from Russian territory where they are being attacked,” Borrell added. “It is fully following international law,”
he said.
As he scheduled to hand over the bloc’s diplomatic helm to his designated successor Kaja Kallas next month, Borrell revived his call for European unity and ramped up defence spending. He cautioned Russia’s war – which the West says is being militarily backed by Iran and North Korea, and “enabled” by China – had transformed the international security equation for good.
“No one can escape the consequences of this war,”
Borrell expressed.
“It has changed the world. It started a new era. So let’s face the current circumstances and make all the member states united in support.”
What is the significance of the US policy shift?
While President Joe Biden has not expressed publicly on the matter, a US official has confirmed Washington would now allow Kyiv to utilise American-supplied long-range missiles for strikes inside Russian territory. The shift emphasizes other allies supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles – notably the British and French Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday ruled out, once again, his country’s sophisticated Taurus missiles being sent to Ukraine for use.
French President Emmanuel Macron who previously expressed openness to letting Ukraine strike military targets inside Russia – commanded the US decision as “a good one.”
