EU foreign ministers convening 'historic' meeting in Kiev: Borrell
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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba welcomes the first-ever meeting in what he called the bloc's "future borders".
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The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands in Kiev (Borrell's X account)
The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday announced that all of the bloc's foreign ministers were for the first time meeting beyond its borders, in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
"We are convening a historic meeting of EU Foreign Ministers here in Ukraine, candidate country and future member of the EU. We are here to express our solidarity and support to the Ukrainian people," Borrell said in a statement on social media.
We are convening a historic meeting of EU Foreign Ministers here in Ukraine, candidate country and future member of the EU.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) October 2, 2023
We are here to express our solidarity and support to the Ukrainian people.https://t.co/zcv6agCcIy
He said the meeting will be informal, where EU foreign ministers do not have the goal of reaching concrete conclusions.
"These kinds of meetings are called informal, because first they are out of the premises of the EU and secondly because they are considered a high level political debate but do not have the aim of reaching concrete conclusions and decisions," Borrell said in a joint press statement with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Borrell added that the meeting was aimed at showing solidarity with the Ukrainian people as Ukraine’s future "lies within the EU."
On his part, Kuleba welcomed the first-ever meeting in what he called the bloc's "future borders".
"This a historic event because for the first time ever the foreign affairs council is going to sit down outside of its current borders -- outside the borders of the European Union -- but within future borders of the European Union," Kuleba told reporters.
On Saturday, Borrell arrived in Odessa on an unannounced visit and met the other day in Kiev with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kuleba.
He indicated that the goal of the visit was to express support for Ukraine.
After his first personal meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Borrell confirmed that the bloc would increase its military support for Ukraine.
The European Defense Agency announced earlier this week that seven EU members had submitted requests to purchase ammunition under a plan to deliver artillery shells that Ukraine desperately needs and replenish depleted Western stocks.
Borrell expresses hope Ukraine continues receiving aid from US
In the same context, Borrell expressed hope that the United States would continue allocating financial support to the Ukrainian forces after US Congress passed a spending bill that dropped aid to Kiev.
On Saturday, the US House of Representatives passed a short-term spending bill to keep the US government open for 45 days, which was later approved by the Senate and signed into law by Biden.
Later, Biden told reporters that Washington would not walk away from supporting Kiev, adding that he is awaiting a separate aid bill for Ukraine from the US Congress and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
On Monday, Borrell also claimed that Russia's military operation is an "existential threat" to Europe and the European people
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