The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has pledged “unwavering” support for Ukraine, on his first visit to Kyiv after Donald Trump’s US presidential win.
Trump’s victory in the United States election has caused concern in Ukraine and Europe that the volatile Republican could end Washington’s support for Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion.
“The clear purpose of this visit is to express European Union support to Ukraine – this support remains unwavering,” Borrell, who is set to leave office next month, told journalists in Kyiv on Saturday.
“This support is absolutely needed for you to continue defending yourself against Russian aggression,” he added.
During his presidential campaign, Trump suggested that Ukraine might have to cede territory to Russia to reach a peace deal, something Ukraine has rejected and US President Joe Biden has never suggested.
Speaking to European leaders at a summit in Hungary on Thursday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Europe and the US not to loosen ties following the election of Trump.
“There has been much talk about the need to yield to Putin, to back down, to make some concessions … It’s unacceptable for Ukraine and unacceptable for all Europe,” Zelenskyy said.
“We need sufficient weapons, not support in talks. Hugs with Putin won’t help. Some of you have been hugging him for 20 years, and things are only getting worse,” he added.
On the campaign trail, Trump had also cast doubt on maintaining the vast US military and financial aid to Ukraine and said he could cut a quick deal to end the war.
“Nobody knows exactly what the new administration is going to do,” Borrell said on Saturday, pointing out that Biden still has two months in power to make decisions.
“We have to do more and faster, more military support, more training capacities, more money, faster supplies, and also the permission to strike the enemy on its military targets on its territory,” Borrell said.
The EU foreign policy chief also noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin “doesn’t want to negotiate and will not negotiate unless he is forced to do it”.
On Thursday, Putin congratulated Trump on his presidential victory and said that Trump’s comments on restoring “relations with Russia” and helping “end the Ukrainian crisis”, in his opinion, “deserves attention at least”.
So far, Europe has spent about $125bn on supporting Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, while the United States alone has spent more than $90bn, according to a tracker from the Germany-based Kiel Institute.
Keeping Washington, Ukraine’s single biggest donor, onboard is seen by most as key to ensuring Kyiv can fight back, especially during political uncertainty in major European powers, such as Germany and France.
With countries such as Hungary, which oppose military support for Ukraine, emboldened after Trump’s win, getting consensus within the EU to do more could prove difficult.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Ukraine’s fatigued soldiers are struggling to stave off Russia’s advances as they approach three years of full-scale combat.
At least one person was killed in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, and more than 30 were injured across the country after Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles into Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday.
Russian drones also struck Kharkiv in the northeast, wounding at least 25 people.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reiterated Kyiv’s insistence that it should not be forced to make concessions to Russia.
“Everyone needs to realise that appeasement of the aggressor will not work,” he said.
“We need real peace, not appeasement that will bring more war.”