Josep Borrell, EU High Representative and Vice-President is visiting Ukraine on Jan. 4-6 at the invitation of Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, according to the European Commission.
Borrell’s first foreign visit of 2022 underlines the European Union’s
“strong support to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity at a time when the country is confronted with Russian military build-up and hybrid actions.“
Borrell is expected to visit the contact line in eastern Ukraine with the foreign minsiter. Later he will be in Kyiv for meetings with the Ukrainian authorities.
While the head of European Security is visiting Ukraine, NATO will be preparing for an extraordinary meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs on Jan. 7, to “discuss Russia’s military build-up in and around Ukraine” according to a press release from NATO on Jan. 4. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is expected to chair the meeting and to give a briefing afterwards.
In recent months both Borrell and Stoltenberg have made strong statements in support of Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence; and the legal right of Ukraine to freely determine its own alliances and policies.
In a joint press conference with President Zelensky on Dec. 16, 2021, Stoltenberg underlined that “NATO stands with Ukraine,” and NATO will “continue to give practical support” to Ukraine. He reiterated that NATO support for Ukraine is not a threat to the Russian Federation as NATO is a defensive alliance.
He also reaffirmed that
“Ukraine has the right to choose its own security arrangements.“
and “the decision on whether Ukraine can join NATO will be taken by Ukraine and 30 NATO Allies alone.”
In a tweet from Ukraine on Dec. 4, Borrell echoed the NATO leader with a comment that “Ukraine is free to choose its political and security alliances and partnerships”.
