We Cannot Reduce Our Involvement: Josep Borrell

The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has criticized the bloc for its desire to avoid discussing "multiple conflicts" simultaneously, stating that the West cannot afford to do so.

“Our geopolitical environment is not improving but rather degrading, which requires greater involvement and coordinated efforts from us. The world is full of conflicts, some of which we do not even talk about, yet they exist. Who talks about the situation in Sudan? Who discusses the Horn of Africa or the Sahel? Who engages in discussions about ongoing conflicts that have persisted for years? It seems our society can only talk about one specific conflict at a time, and currently, that is the Israel-Palestine conflict. But the war in Ukraine continues and has daily consequences. We cannot reduce our involvement,” he said while speaking at the European Defence Agency's annual conference.

Borrell also praised EU countries for increasing defense spending by 70% to €240 billion since 2014 but emphasized the necessity for greater investment in research and innovative technologies within the defense sector.

Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also stated at the European Defence Agency conference that Ukraine's setbacks on the battlefield “are not a reason for Western countries to reduce their support.”