Borrell sees the withdrawal in Jerson as a "tipping point" and says Ukraine will be the one to decide when to negotiate

BRUSELAS, 14 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has indicated this Monday that the withdrawal of Russian troops from the city of Kherson is a "turning point" in the war in Ukraine and has insisted that it will be kyiv who decide when it enters into peace negotiations with Moscow, after stressing that the EU is still considering new sanctions against Moscow.

"The Russian Army is withdrawing. This is very good news for the Ukrainians and shows that the strategy of supporting Ukraine militarily must continue. It is important to see what will happen in the next few days after the withdrawal of the Russian Army to the other side of the river ( Dnieper). Leaving Kherson and not being willing to defend their positions because they could have had a great defeat, is a turning point in the war", the head of European diplomacy assessed upon his arrival at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the European Union.

The appointment in Brussels will be dominated by the situation in Ukraine and will include the participation by videoconference of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dimitro Kuleba, at a time when European partners look towards 2023 with the idea of ​​guaranteeing funds and support to kyiv, including the imminent start-up of the Ukrainian Army's military training mission, which the High Representative has indicated will be operational within two weeks.

After news has circulated in recent weeks that the United States has asked the Ukrainian authorities not to close the door on negotiations with Russia, Borrell has insisted that Ukraine will be the one to "decide what to do." "Our duty is to support them", he has settled.

The Finnish Foreign Minister, Pekka Haavisto, has shown himself along the same lines, assuring that "the time of the negotiations is something that Ukraine has to define", pointing out that first kyiv has some objectives to recover territories occupied by the troops russians "The final agreements between Ukraine and Russia can be made when Russia withdraws from the areas that have been occupied," he noted.

Regarding the option of applying new rounds of sanctions, the High Representative explained that the European institutions are already working on new measures and the procedures are under way. "Be sure that we will not stop," he said after minutes before the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Gabrielus Landbergis, lamented the lack of appetite to advance with the ninth package of sanctions proposed by the Baltic countries and Poland.

"We are waiting for the ninth package. We have offered a large number of lists (of those sanctioned) weeks ago and we are waiting for the response of the institutions in Europe, to react and go ahead with the ninth package of sanctions," Landbergis said before of the meeting.

For his part, Haavisto has indicated that Finland has proposals for sanctions on visas and energy, although he has acknowledged that these issues are pending the necessary consensus among European governments. "That is why it is important that the situation in Ukraine be discussed again today," he stressed.

"There is determination to keep up the pressure against Russia for its military aggression in Ukraine," said Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, while his Romanian counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu, has expressed support for more sanctions against Moscow.