Joseph Borrell: We must keep close contact with other partners, notably Georgia and Moldova

“We must keep close contact with other partners, notably Georgia and Moldova and continue to pass the message that enhancing internal resilience - based on strong democratic institutions - is important to strengthen their capacity to face external threats”, Joseph Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.He said the main issue discussed at the meeting was European security and the mobilization of Russian military forces in and around Ukraine, which undermined European security.

“The Russian military build-up in and around Ukraine and Russia’s attempts to re-create dividing lines on our continent, undermine the core foundations and principles on which European security is built and bring back dark memories of spheres of influence, which do not belong to the 21st century. We reaffirmed our full and unquestionable support to Ukraine and that any military aggression against Ukraine will have serious consequences and massive cost for the perpetrator”, he said.

According to him, collective diplomatic efforts to convince Russia to take the path of dialogue will continue, even though the Russian rhetoric does not inspire a lot of confidence.

“Should diplomacy fail - we are going to do our best for diplomacy to work - we are very well advanced in preparations of responses to a potential Russian aggression. And, certainly, it will be a quick and determined action with strong unity – not only within the European Union, but also internationally’, he said.