The president of the European Commission, will begin a trip through the seven member states that bind with Russia and Belarus -Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania- after the attack with drones perpetrated Thursday by the Russian army, which in kyiv (Ukraine).
“Tomorrow I will travel to the seven member states that are reinforcing and protecting our exterior borders with Russia and Belarus,” the community executive itself reported on Thursday in an institutional statement to the media without the possibility of questions.
German politics wants to transfer its solidarity to the countries adjacent to Russia and “share with them the advances in the construction of one, especially through the joint defense instrument.”
He also thanked the work of the “brave staff of the EU delegation in Ukraine” and praised his “extraordinary work in extremely difficult conditions”, a message that, he said, she herself will transmit them in person when she returns to kyiv.
During his tour, which will start this Friday, August 29, in Latvia and end on Monday, September 1, in Romania, von der Leyen plans to meet with heads of state and government, defense forces and military personnel to transfer the support of the EU to the member states that face the challenges of sharing borders with Russia and Belarus.
The day later
In addition, the high representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs, said Friday upon arrival at the Informal Meeting of European Defense Ministers that it is important to be prepared to guarantee the security of Ukraine “the day after”, once peace has been reached.
“Our contribution to security guarantees is the training mission, the military mission and also support for the Ukraine defense industry. Today we are discussing how to change the mandate of all these missions to be prepared once a peace agreement has been reached,” said the high representative from the Danish capital. Kallas also noted that “neutral countries can also participate” in these guarantees.
Also, asked about the possibility of European troops on the ground, Kallas said that “it is a decision that each of the member states must make” but that the conversations continue. “I think it is very important that we prepare for the day after,” he added.
The European diplomat insisted on the nineteenth package of sanctions against Russia that the EU is preparing and hopes to present at the end of September, now more justified, he says, after the attack on kyiv. “Of course, what will harm them are the energy sanctions and all the secondary sanctions imposed by Americans, for example, but also the financial services that really make access to capital difficult, which they need so much,” he explained.
In the midst of attempts for a peace process that leads to the end of the war, the NATO general secretary, requested last week from kyiv “solid guarantees” to prevent Russia from invading the country again, which includes that the Ukrainian army be reinforced. For its part, the United States has offered air support and its intelligence services, but at the moment it continues to rule out the sending of peace troops.
The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, and Denmark Minister of Defense, Troels Lund Poulen, receive the Minister of Defense of Spain, Margarita Robles, today in Copenhagen.
The call from Spain
In the minutes before that meeting commanded by Kallas, the Spanish Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, has also requested “union” within the union and “support” to Ukraine after the last Russian attacks on kyiv, who described as “terrible massacre.” “We are going to show support and solidarity with Ukraine after yesterday’s terrible killing in kyiv. It is one of the important points of the meeting, support, and we believe that the position of the European Union must be absolutely firm,” he told EFE upon arrival at the meeting in the Danish capital.
Robles urged “moving from the simple statements of condemnation” and said that “we will all be very close supporting Ukraine.” “At this time, the decision is the total support, which we have not left at any time. From the industrial point of view, in regard to Spain, we are also supporting, there are Spanish companies that are supporting Ukraine. The priority in all areas is that this support is and looks,” Robles said about it.
