The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said today that the neighborhood of the European Union (EU) is “on fire” in the face of crises such as Belarus, which demand a united community response.
“In the past ten months, our neighborhood has been enveloped in flames, from Libya to Belarus” and “everything has gotten much worse than I expected,” confessed Borrell, in an interview published today by the Financial Times.
The comments from the head of EU diplomacy come at a time when EU countries are discussing sanctions against Belarus, for President Alexander Lukashenko’s measures against his opponents, and the response to Turkey’s energy prospecting in a sea zone claimed by Greece.
In the interview, Borrell said that EU foreign ministers hope to reach an agreement on sanctions on Belarus on September 21, because of President Lukanshenko’s measures against his opponents after last month’s presidential elections.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs added that Turkey’s case will be dealt with by community leaders at the Brussels summit, which begins on 24 September.
“Tensions in the eastern Mediterranean – between Greece, Turkey and Cyprus – have increased exponentially and there is a strong risk of confrontation, which goes beyond words,” explained Borrell.
At the same time, the EU faces a difficult test in an attempt to resolve disputes in the Balkans, such as the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo.
“If we do not stabilize the Balkans, it will be very difficult to be considered a geopolitical power. Because no one else will. Only Europeans can do that, ”said the head of European diplomacy.
In relation to Russia, Borrell suggested that the EU should respond with sanctions, for the poisoning of opponent Alexei Navalny, with nervous agent Novichok, if there is “clear evidence” of the involvement of government officials.
According to Borrell, the Navalny case is on a par with the UK poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in 2018, which led to the imposition of EU sanctions against four Russian military intelligence officers.
Borrell says, however, that it will be up to the Germans – who have identified the use of the nervous agent – to decide whether to retaliate for the Navalny case – which is hospitalized in Germany – by blocking the project of the Russian-German gas pipeline Nord Stream2.
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