Tuesday's defense minister meeting in the EU was the last with 77-year-old Borrell as foreign chief and also included NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte as an invited extra guest.
How the EU will handle Donald Trump becoming president in the USA again in January was one of the main topics – and according to Borrell, something that the EU cannot just wait for.
We cannot wait for what Trump will decide. Our support (to Ukraine) must continue. We do not know what will happen, but right now – today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow – people are fighting and dying on the battlefield. They are not speculating. They are risking their lives, says Borrell in Brussels.
"Putin has failed"
Tuesday's meeting was held exactly 1,000 days after the renewed Russian invasion in February 2022. Russian progress on the fronts and uncertainty about how the US support will look like under Trump have led to increased pessimism in several quarters.
Sweden's Pål Jonson (The Moderate Party) is, however, pushing back against those who believe that Ukraine's war cannot be won.
Many have said this for a long time, but we are now 1,000 days into the war, and Russia has not achieved a single one of its strategic objectives. This is still not a failure for Ukraine. So far, it has been a failure for Putin, says Jonson in Brussels.
Difficult on the front
Jonson still feels strong support in the EU for helping Ukraine further in the war – but emphasizes that perseverance is required and that much needs to be done.
The situation is difficult right now on the Ukrainian front. It will be important to rotate in new Ukrainian units, says the defense minister.
Borrell notes for his part that an overwhelming majority of EU countries agree on the necessity of continued support.
Ukraine's fate determines the EU's fate. If Putin is successful in Ukraine, we will have to pay very dearly – much more than what any military support costs, says the foreign chief at his last press conference.
After months of troop gathering at the border and despite numerous denials from the political leadership in the Kremlin, Russia launched a full-scale invasion attempt of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Beyond the areas that Russia has already illegally occupied and annexed since 2014, Russian forces have mainly taken new ground in southern Ukraine, down towards the Azov Sea and the Crimean Peninsula. The attempts to reach the capital Kyiv were, however, quickly repelled.
Ukraine has received significant help with weapons and money from EU and NATO countries, while Russia is supported with weapons from Iran and recently also troops from North Korea. Russia also has close cooperation with China.
