The unity of the member states of the European Union before Russia must be “maintained day by day”, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, emphasized in an interview published on Tuesday by AFP, quoted by Agerpres.

“We must not forget that the European Union is a union of states that have different approaches to Russia,” says the Spanish diplomat, who expects difficult discussions at the meeting of European ministers of defense and foreign affairs, which will take place on the 30th. August 31 in Prague.

“Member countries are masters of their foreign policy. It is necessary to ensure that their interests converge. There is always a compromise. Within 27 with the unanimity rule, this is sometimes impossible,” Borrell admits, noting the lack of consensus on abandoning this rule.

Passage of the EU’s sixth set of sanctions, which impose a gradual embargo on most Russian oil except for pipelines, required difficult negotiations with Hungary and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is “loudly saying he wants to stop the sanctions” against Moscow.

In Prague, Josep Borrell will present a proposal to create a mission to train the Ukrainian armed forces in Europe, as is already happening in the USA and Great Britain. “Ukraine needs to be provided with support, in addition to the supply of weapons. Those who refuse to stop the war must be able to resist,” says the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Since the start of the Russian offensive six months ago, the EU has allocated 2.5 billion euros to finance the supply of weapons and equipment to Ukraine.

“The war is taking a new turn. The Ukrainians went on the offensive. Attacks in Crimea have an important military and psychological dimension. The Russians seem technologically obsolete, but they retain the ability to strike,” explains Josep Borrell.

Another issue that divides the EU is a possible ban on the entry of Russian tourists, supported by Finland and the Baltic states. The proposal will also be discussed at a meeting in the Czech Republic, the country that presides over the EU Council for six months.

Josep Borrell plays a key role in the sanctions proposals. On Monday, he assessed that banning “entry to Europe for all Russians, regardless of the reason, is not a good idea.”

In the context of how Europe is preparing for the winter without Russian gas, the head of European diplomacy insists on the need to “endure and distribute costs within the EU.” In particular, he advocates the reform of the price of energy carriers, which is now indexed to the price of gas.

“The best gift to Putin is to pay for electricity at the price of gas,” Borrell condemns.

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