“Hybrid threats and power politics” are destabilising Ukraine and the European Union, according to Josep Borrell, leader of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in a statement he shared on his blog on Dec. 19.
The EEAS is responsible for maintaining stability and security at and outside of the borders of the European Union.
Borrell calls for EU member states and allies to continue to be united and resilient in response to new hybrid threats while at the same time strengthening European security and defence policy.
In defence of Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and in the interests of ensuring stability and the rule of law in Europe and regions neighbouring Europe, the EEAS has been very involved in recent weeks in continuous and intensive discussions with the 27 European Union (EU) member states, the 30 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) nations, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other international partners, organisations and groups.
The EU and allies have agreed to deter further Russian advances into Ukraine. European security is law-based and Russia has also signed agreements to comply with international laws that uphold the rights of nations to have safe, respected and un-breached borders; to decide their own foreign policies and to decide their own security arrangements and alliances.
In connection with EU and Ukrainian border security, Borrell expressed support of de-escalation on the Belarusian-Polish border, saying that the EEAS has been active diplomatically in reducing the “flow of irregular migrants, brought in under false pretensions to then be pushed to the border”. Though 4,000 of these migrants have been flown back to Iraq, thousands remain stranded in Belarus in need of support. The crisis continues on the Belarus-Poland border within the backdrop of continuing internal repression in Belarus.
The manipulation of migrants by Belarus and the crisis on the border has its origins in the behavior of the illegitimate, brutal and repressive Lukashenka regime, according to Borrell. The regime presently holds more than 900 political prisoners in jail and uses the state-controlled courts system to slap lengthy prison sentences onto innocent citizens for expressing their opinions and acting according to their legal rights. One recent case is the jailing of the husband of President-in-exile Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya, Sergei, to 18 years in a Belarusian prison.
Russian gas pressure and rising costs are intensifying the crisis situations in Ukraine and Belarus in the context of Russia supplying energy products that have risen in price by 300% since last Summer.
“Russia has used energy as a tool for political influence before and many interpret its reluctance to re-fill its storage facilities or to increase gas exports to the EU as a way to pressure the EU into speedily certifying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline into service.
EU member states do not see Nord Stream 2 as a priority. As various countries seek to secure their own energy requirements with supply deals from Russia, it is important to note that the EU is most secure when acting in unison, rather than in individual self interest, as agreements among states to cooperate together bring better results than individual actions that may be used to divide nations. In any case, Nord Stream 2 will have to comply with EU regulations if it is to become operational,” said Borrell.
With regard to agreements about the security and future of the EU, Borrell referred to the recent separate draft requests from Russia to the United States and NATO to give ‘security guarantees’ to Russia. He was clear that international law gives the EU (and Ukraine) the right to be at the table and part of all discussions concerning European Security and arrangements.
“We know that words and statements alone are not enough to change the calculus of the Russian leadership,“
Borrell said. He also stated that unity and continuing discussions are essential to common security.
“We have to remain clear-eyed and firm in our response to open displays of power politics in the Eastern neighbourhood and elsewhere. They remind us that we have to equip ourselves with the means to act,” concluded Borrell.
