Josep Borrell Confirms His Participation in Crimean Platform

Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, supported the initiative to hold the Crimean Platform summit in August and confirmed his participation in the event.

“I welcome President Zelensky’s initiative to convene the Crimea Platform Summit; I intend to take part with [European Council] President Michel and I hope there will be the widest possible participation from UN members,” Borrell said at the UN Security Council videoconference.

He also expressed support for Ukraine, called the Russian Federation a party to the conflict in Donbas, and urged the UN Security Council to make more efforts to maintain peace in Ukraine.

“Six years after all members of this Security Council unanimously supported the Minsk Agreements, little has been done to implement them. Russia is a party to the conflict and we count on it to take a constructive stance,” the diplomat noted.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine confirmed participation of Josep Borrell, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis in the Crimean Platform summit.

On the eve of the OSCE Permanent Council meeting, the European Union strongly condemned Russia’s attempts to legitimise “LPR” and “DPR,” calling it an attempt to divert attention from Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. In particular, the statement underscores that the Minsk Agreements unambiguously define the Trilateral Contact Group consisting of Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and the OSCE. That is why the EU rejects the distorted narrative promoted by Russia presenting itself as a mediator of the “internal Ukrainian conflict” and trying to legitimise so-called people’s republics.

Bohdan Marusyak