Today marks one year since Russia began the invasion of Ukraine. A war that has led to the loss of thousands of human lives, which has forced millions of people to move to other countries and which has produced serious geopolitical tensions in Europe.
Esther Vaquero has interviewed Joseph Borrell on the occasion of the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine. In his speech, the high representative stressed that China’s peace proposal must be improved “to be credible.”
In his opinion, said initiative, which contains “interesting elements”, has not been consulted with the two parties and also puts “the aggressor and the attacked” on the same level.
“I would not call it a peace plan, it is a note that establishes China’s already known positions on how the conflict is developing. It incorporates some positive innovation such as the condemnation of the use of nuclear weapons or the exchange of prisoners, but it does not distinguish between the aggressor and the victim, and that is the mother of the lamb, that is what makes the difference. The confusion is what causes it to not be considered a peace plan”, he indicated.
Arms shipment to Ukraine
Right now Ukraine needs the help and commitment of the West and NATO. For this reason, the head of European diplomacy has advocated sending arms to Ukraine as quickly as possible.
“It’s a high intensity war, with huge artillery duels every day. In the United Nations there has been a transcendental and very important vote: 141 countries against 7 have voted calling for the end of the war and the construction of a just peace based on the principles of respect and territorial integrity”, he specified.
Borrell has warned that Ukraine has to respond, and that will only be achieved with more war material. “Shipping must be very fast. A few months ago it was a war of movements, now it is entrenched in a long front line. Russian artillery fires 50,000 shells a day. I appeal to all countries to move faster when it comes to ammunition,” he said.
Is there enough ammunition for Ukraine? According to the European representative yes. “Together, it can be reinforced, although it is something that has already been done since the beginning of the war, I am not inventing anything new. Only now the rate at which that ammunition is consumed is unfortunately much higher,” he lamented.