The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, expressed dissatisfaction with the different positions of the EU in assessing the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, emphasizing that the EU risks losing international trust due to the fact that it cannot figure out “where the right side of history is.”
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“With insufficient unity of positions in the EU on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, we are losing international trust,” he said, speaking at the Sommet Grand Continent forum.
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The head of European diplomacy wondered why, in the situation with Ukraine, the EU unanimously stands “on the right side of history,” but on the issue of the Middle East conflict hesitates and does not know “where this right side is.”
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“If we do not want to lose the trust of part of the world, if we want Ukraine to continue to be able to rely on the support of the international community, if we do not want what is happening in Gaza to weaken the support of Ukraine from many countries of the world, … it is necessary that this combination of our principles regarding these two conflicts has become more consistent,” Borrell said.
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Immediately after the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who took a pro-Israeli position and for some time ignored the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the death of civilians, was severely criticized in the media, which accused her of “double standards,” recalling statements about conflict in Ukraine, and warned against making statements on behalf of the entire EU.
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Later, the EC press service and the EU foreign policy service had to correct von der Leyen’s unilateral statements and explain that the opinion expressed by the head of the EC “is her personal one and does not reflect the position of the entire EU.” At the same time, the EU still cannot agree on a common position on the need to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
