EU plans talks with Trump, reaffirms support for Ukraine

The European Union plans to hold a discussion with Washington on the importance of countering Russian threats. Addressing Moscow’s aggression is crucial not only for Europe’s security but also for stability in the Indo-Pacific region, where the U.S. aims to focus its efforts on containing China, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Russia is not just an autocracy threatening democracies; “it is also increasingly becoming allied with others like Iran and North Korea, together with China, fuelling this [Russo-Ukrainian] war.”

“But what I think is more important is that we discuss with our American friends also the fact that Russia is not only a threat to Europe, but a threat to global security as a whole,” von der Leyen said last week at the EU Summit.

Meanwhile, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell visited Kyiv on Nov. 9 to reaffirm Europe’s support for Ukraine. This marked the first visit by a senior EU official to Ukraine since Donald Trump’s second victory in the U.S. presidential election.

“The clear purpose of this visit is to express European Union support to Ukraine – this support remains unwavering,” Borrell said, as quoted by AFP.

Borrell acknowledged that it is impossible to predict what the new US administration will do. Additionally, outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden still has two months to make key decisions.

“But we Europeans have to use this opportunity in order to build a stronger and united Europe, and one of the manifestations of being united and being stronger and able to act is our role in supporting Ukraine,” Borrell added.

He also stated that it is up to the 27 EU member countries to determine when and how to increase support for Ukraine, if necessary.

EU leaders in Budapest last week discussed the possibility of continuing military support for Ukraine despite the possibility that Trump might freeze U.S. aid, Bloomberg reports.