Russia, “an existential threat to Europe”, says the head of European diplomacy. Tough speech delivered at Oxford

The high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, assessed on Friday that Russia represents an “existential threat” for Europe because, if he succeeds, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop in Ukraine, informs EFE, taken by Agerpres.

Borrell delivered a speech at Saint Antony’s College of the University of Oxford on Friday about the global geopolitical situation and in particular about the two armed conflicts that humanity is witnessing, Ukraine and the Middle East.

Macron given as an example

In his speech, entitled “Europe is facing two wars”, the head of EU diplomacy insisted on the threat represented by the Russian president and emphasized that more and more voices are warning about the global consequences of a Russian victory.

In this sense, he gave the example of French President Emmanuel Macron, who himself came to the conclusion that Russia represents a threat, although at the beginning he had insisted that Russia should not be humiliated.

The Russian president sees the entire West as an adversary and repeats it on Russian state television, added Borrell, who believed that Europeans are not prepared for the harshness of the world they have finally woken up to.

But, as Bulgarian political scientist Ivan Krastev pointed out, “it’s one thing to wake up and another to find the strength to get out of bed,” Borrell said, referring to the war in Ukraine. “In some cases we are still in bed,” the high representative added, stressing the “gravity of the moment” today.

Criticism of Netanyahu

“And then another war came,” with the attack of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on October 7, 2023 on Israeli territory and Israel’s disproportionate response, Borrell emphasized. The head of EU diplomacy considered that the territory “must be divided” so that Palestinians and Israelis live next to each other, which is why it is important to look for a solution in the Middle East, an approach in which the Europeans have a huge responsibility.

Borrell gave as an example of hope the peace process in Northern Ireland, which seemed impossible to resolve, but years of patient negotiations allowed the conclusion of the Good Friday Agreement (1998), which ended the religious conflict between pro-British Protestants and pro-Catholic republicans.

But Borrell warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not want a two-state solution and that Europe continues to ask him what he wants in order to have an answer that would allow a new human tragedy to be avoided.

In his speech, the High Representative emphasized that, in order to face the current geopolitical situation, it is necessary to diversify trade ties and deepen cooperation with those who share European values ​​and interests, and in this regard he mentioned the United Kingdom, despite its exit from the European Union (EU).

He also pointed out that in today’s world there is more confrontation and less cooperation, with the US having lost its hegemony while China is on the rise and rivaling the United States. At the same time, middle powers such as India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey are emerging as important players on the global stage, he added.

Among other things, Borrell indicated that climate change is not a future concern, but is already a current one, given the rapid technological and demographic changes taking place, especially in Africa, where by 2050 25% of the world’s population will live.