EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said on Friday that it was “not yet time” for “diplomatic peace talks” with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, and the only viable peace proposal was for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, which means the withdrawal of Russian troops from all occupied territories of Ukraine.

“Unfortunately, now is not the time for diplomatic peace talks, this is the time for military support in the war” for Ukraine, Borrell said in his speech at the “State of the Union” forum, which is being held in the Italian city of Florence, reports the EFE agency, citing Agerpres.

He positively assessed China’s participation after Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, but he perceives the peace initiative previously put forward by China more as a “list of wise considerations” and believes that the only proposal that should be considered is Ukraine’s, namely the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and restoration of Ukrainian borders before the annexation of Crimea.

“If we did not support Ukraine, its fall would be a matter of days. We have no choice”

Borrell did not mention other mediation proposals, such as the one recently announced by the Vatican but denied by both Moscow and Kiev, or that of Brazilian President Lula da Silva. He defended the position of America and Europe regarding the continued supply of weapons to Ukraine for a military victory over Russia.

“The reality is that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has said that he still has military goals, and until he achieves them, he will continue to fight,” the head of EU diplomacy reasoned. “If we did not support Ukraine, its fall would be a matter of days. We have no choice,” Borrell said.

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