Borrell expects major offensive of Russian forces in Ukraine

Photo: EU High Representative Josep Borrell (Getty Images)

Russian forces are likely to start another major offensive in Ukraine after the presidential elections, says EU High Representative Josep Borrell in his blog following the results of a recent visit to Kyiv.

“Another major Russian offensive could be starting in the months after the Russian “elections” in March. However, I have found that the Ukrainian people remain determined to continue the fight and I saw their ingenuity and resilience at work,” Borrell said.

In his opinion, “unlike their Russian counterparts, Ukrainian soldiers know what they are fighting for and do not lack motivation.”

“But they cannot do it without our support, which has to increase urgently. What the EU and its Member States do in the coming months to provide Ukraine with the tools to withstand a Russian offensive will be decisive, for both Ukraine, but also for the security of the European Union,” the head of European diplomacy emphasized.

Borrell also called on the EU member states to work with their defense enterprises to review contracts and prioritize the supply of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.

Elections in Russia

In Russia, presidential elections will last three days – from March 15 to 17, 2024. On December 8, the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, officially announced his intention to run for re-election.

As Reuters wrote, in this case, Putin will be able to stay in power at least until 2030. Moreover, the press secretary of the President of Russia, Dmytro Peskov, has already announced that Putin will be re-elected with a result of 90% of the votes.

Recently it became known that Boris Nadezhdin was refused registration as a candidate for the presidential elections in Russia. Until recently, he was considered the “main competitor” of the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, in the vote.

Aid to Ukraine from the EU

From the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion until the end of 2023, the EU helped Ukraine with 88 billion euros, of which 28 billion was allocated for armaments.

The EU recently committed another €50 billion in macro-financial assistance over four years and is working to increase military support by another €5 billion in 2024.