The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, admitted that not all member states agree with the Brussels narrative that Russia should be seen as Europe’s “most existential threat”. He believed that these differences jeopardized the union’s policies, especially its determination to provide military aid to Ukraine.
In a speech at Oxford University on Friday, Borrell said he sees “more confrontation and less cooperation” in world politics, citing cases of disagreement among EU members. Regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin and the conflict in Ukraine, some countries are not in line with Brussels – He told.
“Putin is an existential threat to all of us today. If Putin succeeds in Ukraine, he won’t stop,” Borrell said, adding that Russia’s victory would undermine Europe’s security. “At the same time, not everyone in the European Union shares this assessment” he emphasized.
“Some members of the European Council are saying, ‘Well, no, Russia is not an existential threat. At least not for me. I consider Russia a good friend” Borrell said, without naming specific counties.
“In a union governed by unanimity, our policy on Russia is always threatened by a single veto – one is enough.”
The EU introduced several packages of sanctions against Moscow after Russia launched an operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, however, refused to send weapons to Ukraine and emphasized that the conflict should be resolved through negotiations.
Hungary blocked the EU’s $54 billion aid package for Ukraine for months until Orbán lifted the veto in February 2024.
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron again refused to rule out sending NATO troops to Ukraine, arguing that “the survival of the continent” was at stake. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó strongly criticized his comments, saying that the appearance of NATO soldiers in Ukraine could trigger a total global war.
Moscow, meanwhile, criticized Macron for continuing a dangerous “verbal escalation” that could lead to the conflict spiraling out of control.
