European Council: Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell ahead of the meeting

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European Council: Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell ahead of the meeting

17.10.2024 EEAS Press Team

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Good morning.

The [European] Council will discuss about Ukraine and the Middle East, Georgia and Venezuela, which are four issues that matter from the point of view of our external relations.

In Ukraine, we will have President [of Ukraine Volodymyr] Zelenskyy explaining his 'Victory Plan'. For us, from a practical point of view, the 'Victory Plan' is important. We have to make the link between the 'Victory Plan' and the 'Peace Plan'. To win the war and to win the peace, both things have to go together. That is why we have to support Ukraine - not only from the military point of view, but also from the civilian point of view, in order to make this country continue working.

Electricity: no country can work without electricity. 70% of the electricity capacity production has been destroyed. We provided new generators, but the new generators are being destroyed in the following day. We have to stop the cycle of 'they destroy, we repair'. It means more air support. It means more air support capacity in order to avoid the electricity system to be completely destroyed.

We have to continue supporting Ukraine, stronger and quicker. This is an existential war. Russia is an existential threat for Europe and I hope that Member States will continue supporting Ukraine. From my side, we continue with the training mission [EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine]. I hope that, finally, before the end of my term, I will get an agreement in order to deblock the payments of the European Peace Facility and to provide more military support to Ukraine.

In the Middle East, you know that yesterday we had the meeting with the Gulf cooperation countries. It was a very interesting meeting, a very lively debate on the situation in the Middle East. You can imagine different points of view about what is happening there. What is happening there is catastrophe, a chronification of a humanitarian crisis. 18,000 children [are] orphans. 20% of the Lebanese population had to leave. 400,000 children have to leave their houses in Lebanon, alone. Another attack on United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL). I hope the Council will strongly condemn the attacks of the Israeli forces against UNIFIL. What we see is the chronification of the humanitarian crisis.

Yes, the United States has been saying to Israel that they have to improve [access of] humanitarian support to Gaza - but they gave [as deadline] one month. One month of people being killed - it is too many people. I hope that the [European] Council will take seriously the situation of the United Nations. The United Nations have been attacked on all fronts by the Israeli government. [Secretary General António] Guterres being considered antisemitic; UNRWA being considered a terrorist organisation and [about to] be banned from acting inside Israeli territories, the United Nations troops being attacked and being told: "Go, you have nothing to do [here]". All the United Nations system is being attacked. We cannot approve [this].

UNIFIL has a duty, and their soldiers are at risk. Member States decided that their troops will remain. They will remain because they have work to do. Maybe the mission of UNIFIL has to be reviewed to [fit] the current circumstances.

In Georgia there is a clear democratic backsliding. The next election will be the moment of truth and the Georgian people will have to decide which way they want to go: towards Europe or getting away from Europe. This is, for us, an important moment and for the Georgians even more because it is the future of the country which is at stake.

In Venezuela, the repression continues. The leaders of the opposition have to be in exile or hidden, and 2 000 people have been imprisoned. The harassment against the opposition continues. The European Union has to be ready to use all our tools, all our diplomatic capacity, all measures in order to support the people of Venezuela in their democratic fight.

The [European] Council will discuss about it, but be sure that we will take all the measures needed. We are ready to take all the measures needed in order to support the democracy in Venezuela - from now until the moment when Maduro will take [over] the Presidency, officially. We will insist on saying [that there will be] no recognition without verification. If there is no verification of the electoral results, [there will be] no recognition. Maduro will not be recognised as a democratically elected president if there is no verification of the results and, by the time being, there is not.

Thank you.

Q&A

Q. [Migration will be] one of the topics today. Is there [inaudible]?

Yes, you are right. Migration will be one of the most important topics to be discussed by the [European] Council. There are strong concerns; many countries considered that a new regulation has to be presented by the Commission. There is also the concern about the shockwaves that the conflict from the Middle East can send to Europe - imagine, hundreds of thousands of people leaving their houses. Maybe not having houses anymore to go back to, because they have been destroyed. This is certainly something that pushes migration - as the war in Syria did some years ago. The Middle East is the epicentre of a migration movement. So, it is clear that Member States are worried about that. Let's see if they are asking for new regulations to the Commission. I do not know exactly how the discussion will go, but certainly this is a hot issue today in the [European] Council. Thank you.

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