EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Josep Borrell announced that he will propose at today's meeting of European foreign ministers to discuss the visits of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Russia and China earlier this month. After Hungary took over the presidency of the EU Council on July 1, Orbán visited Kiev, Moscow, Beijing and Washington successively for talks on Ukraine's future.
The war in Ukraine must end on the basis of the UN Charter, Borel insisted. He indicated that he wants to first hear the opinion of the EU countries on the Hungarian initiatives, and then he will decide whether to support a meeting in Budapest of the European foreign ministers in August.
The EU is not putting pressure on the continuation of the war, but is helping Ukraine to defend itself against the aggressor, Borel explained. According to him, today's meeting will discuss the Ukrainian side's need for more air defense capabilities and for the restoration of the electrical network destroyed by the Russian strikes. The High Representative specified that 70 percent of the Ukrainian electricity transmission system is already out of order and insisted that the EU countries help to rebuild it.
On the occasion of US President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the race for the next election, Borrell said that he wishes the best to whoever takes over the Democratic baton. The citizens of the United States must determine the owner of the White House, it matters a lot who is there. I don't want to interfere, it's not our job, it's not my job to express preferences, Borel summed up.