Washington (AFP) – 02/08/2022. 00:04
Borrell expresses grave concern over Russian buildup on Ukraine’s border
- European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said in Washington on Monday that Europe is living in the “most dangerous moment” for its security
- He clarified that “no one mobilizes 140,000 heavily armed soldiers on the borders of a country,” without “this posing a serious threat.”
- For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken denied that the US warnings were “intimidation.”
The European Union foreign minister said Josep Borrell In Washington on Monday, Europe is experiencing the “most dangerous moment” for its security since the end of the Cold War, even if it remains “possible” to reach a “diplomatic solution” with Russia.
In response to a question about the United States’ warnings of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine“I share her grave concern” about the threat, Borrell said.
“We are living, in my opinion, at the most dangerous moment for our security since the end of the Cold War,” he added.
He explained that “no one is mobilizing 140,000 heavily armed soldiers on the borders of a country” without “this posing a serious threat”, in an estimate of the number of Russian soldiers deployed on the Ukrainian border more than the figures revealed by recent data of US officials stating that there are 110,000 Russian soldiers. on this border.
“140,000 soldiers have been mobilized on the border, they are not there to drink tea!” Borrell said.
For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken denied that the US warnings were “a disgrace.”
“This is not an exaggeration, it is simply facts,” Blinken stressed during a joint press conference with Borrell.
The Americans and Europeans accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of planning an imminent invasion of Ukraine and threaten him with harsh economic sanctions if he does so.
“We don’t believe that Putin made his decision (to launch an attack), but he put in place the necessary means for it, and if he decides to do so, there will be serious consequences for Ukraine and Russia and for all of us,” Blinken said.
But both officials emphasized that diplomacy may be a way to resolve the crisis.
“We believe that a diplomatic solution to this crisis is still possible,” Borrell said. “We hope for the best, but we are preparing for the worst.”
