The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has pledged unwavering support for Ukraine during his first visit to Kyiv since Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
Trump’s win in the United States has raised concerns in Ukraine and Europe, as many fear that the unpredictable Republican may end Washington’s support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
“The clear purpose of this visit is to express European Union support for Ukraine – this support remains unwavering,” Borrell, who will leave office next month, told journalists in Kyiv on Saturday.
“This support is absolutely needed for you to continue defending yourselves against Russian aggression,” he added.
During his presidential campaign, Trump suggested that Ukraine might need to give up territory to Russia to reach a peace deal, a proposition that Ukraine has rejected and that US President Joe Biden has never entertained.
Speaking to European leaders at a summit in Hungary on Thursday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Europe and the US not to loosen their ties following Trump’s election.
“There has been much talk about the need to yield to Putin, to back down, to make some concessions… It’s unacceptable for Ukraine and unacceptable for all of Europe,” Zelenskyy said.
“We need sufficient weapons, not support in talks. Hugs with Putin won’t help. Some of you have been hugging him for 20 years, and things are only getting worse,” he added.
On the campaign trail, Trump also questioned the continuation of vast US military and financial aid to Ukraine, stating that he could quickly negotiate a deal to end the war.
“Nobody knows exactly what the new administration is going to do,” Borrell said on Saturday, pointing out that Biden still has two months in power to make decisions.
“We have to do more, and faster: more military support, more training, more money, faster supplies, and also permission to strike military targets on enemy territory,” Borrell said.
The EU foreign policy chief also noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin “doesn’t want to negotiate and will not negotiate unless forced to do so.”
On Thursday, Putin congratulated Trump on his win, expressing that Trump’s comments about restoring “relations with Russia” and helping to “end the Ukrainian crisis” deserved “at least some attention.”
To date, Europe has spent about $125 billion supporting Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022, while the United States has contributed more than $90 billion, according to a tracker from the Germany-based Kiel Institute.
Keeping Washington on board – Ukraine’s largest donor – is considered crucial for ensuring Kyiv can continue to defend itself, especially amidst political uncertainty in major European powers like Germany and France.
With countries like Hungary, which oppose military support for Ukraine, emboldened by Trump’s win, gaining consensus within the EU for further action could become more difficult.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Ukraine’s weary soldiers are struggling to halt Russia’s advances as they approach three years of full-scale combat.
At least one person was killed in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, and more than 30 others were injured across the country after Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles into Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian officials reported on Saturday.
Russian drones also struck Kharkiv in the northeast, wounding at least 25 people.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reiterated Kyiv’s stance that it should not be forced to make concessions to Russia.
“Everyone needs to realize that appeasement of the aggressor will not work,” he said. “We need real peace, not appeasement that will only bring more war.”
