Check against delivery! 

Well, [today] it looks like a Foreign and Security Council, because the most important topics today are related to foreign affairs, security, and defence. On Ukraine, there are good news, this €5 billion top up [for Ukraine Assistance Fund], which has already been approved at the level of ministers.  

I suppose the leaders will support my proposal, together with the [European] Commission, on seizing the revenues from the Russian frozen assets. I sent this proposal to the Council, the Council has to decide, and I count on the leaders to tell today to their Ministers to approve quickly this proposal that will provide [approximately] €3 billion per year for the Ukranian defence.  

Another news is that my last accounting of the military support to Ukraine – I have been talking about €28 billion. Now the figure, until today, is €31 billion; so, every day it changes. So, since the beginning of the war, we have provided €31 billion of military assistance, and for this year, it is planned another €20 billion. So, from the point of view of support, we continue supporting Ukraine.

About ammunition supplies, I said several times that we have donated – for free – until now about 500.000 [shells]. But, if you count exports, commercial relations, the European industry has been working for the Ukrainian defence [with] around 400,000 more. But we have to continue, because even 2 million will not be enough.  

The call for Europeans to be aware of the challenges we are facing is good, but we do not have to exaggerate either. War is not imminent. I have heard some voices saying: “War is imminent”. Well, thank God, war is not imminent. We live in peace. We support Ukraine. We are not part of this war, we just support Ukraine. And we have to prepare for the future, increase our defence capabilities, augmenting the defence capacities of our industry.  

But do not scare people unnecessarily. War is not imminent. What is imminent is the need of Ukrainians to support them. It is not an issue of going to die for Donbas, it is an issue of supporting Ukraine, [helping] them not being killed in Donbas. Or not being killed in Kyiv, when there is bombing.  

Gaza is the second issue. The situation in Gaza, there are no words to depict the situation in Gaza. I am happy that the Council today is going to approve Conclusions which go much further than the first conclusion in October, when we said humanitarian pauses.  

Today, the Council goes much further, supporting UNRWA, asking for a sustainable ceasefire. Certainly, asking also for the freedom of hostages. Needless to say, condemning Hamas’ attacks, but showing a strong concern for the situation of the people in Gaza, which is unacceptable. And something which is unacceptable must not to be accepted. Otherwise, it is pure rhetoric.

What is happening today in Gaza is the failure of humanity. It is not a humanitarian crisis. It is the failure of humanity. It is not an earthquake; it is not a flood: it is bombing. The only way of stopping this humanitarian crisis - human crisis - is Israel respecting more the civilians and allowing more support to enter into Gaza.  

We are doing [airdrops by] parachutes. You know there is one airport, one hour driving from the place where we are sending parachutes? But the airport is closed. We are building a port, but there is already a port, the Ashkelon port. It is closed. The borders are open so little that supply does not go into Gaza.  

And even now, even now, if we managed to send food to Gaza, people are so starved - and especially children, [they] are so ill because they do not eat - that if they eat, they will be killed by eat[ing] itself. They need medicine. They need preparedness, in order to be able just to eat, because they have been starving. They are starving.  So, I hope that the Council will send a strong message to Israel: Stop blocking. Stop preventing food from coming into Gaza. And take care of the civilians, because not all [of] them are Hamas. I have been saying that for months. And I will repeat it again.   

Q&A 

Q. Mr Borrell, is [inaudible] enough or should we talk about the Association Agreement with Israel as well?  

Well, the [Foreign] Ministers discussed about it, and I understand that, to call for a meeting of the Association Agreement is difficult, because we have to make previously a unanimous agreement [on] which is the position – which certainly will not happen. But the [Foreign] Ministers asked me to invite the Israeli [Foreign] Minister [Yisrael Katz] to come to the Foreign Affairs Council and to explain what Israel is doing. And, at the same time, we have to study what is happening. If we say that Israel has the right to defend [itself] - and certainly, Israel has the right to defend [itself], not to revenge – not to revenge, defend.

Certainly, we support the right of Israel to defend [itself]. But we say, at the same time, that it has to be done in accordance with international law and humanitarian law, right? So, why do not we have a look if this really happens? Why do not we analyse if, what is happening, is in accordance with international law? Otherwise, it is pure rhetoric. So, we will study. We have a Special Representative for Human Rights [Olof Skoog], who studies human rights around the world. I will work with him in order to study what is the reality on the ground and report to the ministers. By the time being, nothing happens with the Association Agreement because there is not unanimity, but we cannot close our eyes, and say: “Oh, we complain a lot, but we do nothing.”  

Q. High Representative, how optimistic are you that there are going to be Conclusions, that there is going to be consensus on the use of windfall profits?  

I am sure there will be consensus.  

Today, at this summit?  

I hope so. I have been working a lot for months in order to make this consensus happen. 

But do not make mistakes: Israel has been aggressed by Hamas. Israel has the right to defend. It has to do that in accordance to the international law. Hostages have to be freed. And I am happy that the United States is going to present a proposal, a proposition to the Security Council - asking for the first time - for a ceasefire together with the freedom of the hostages. 

Q. So, Ukraine and the windfall profits, do you see any problems from the neutral states who say we should not use these profits from the frozen assets for military purposes?  

Their part will not be used for it. Their part, “I am a neutral country, I do not want my money to be used for that”. Your part will not be used. But let the others do [it]. It is going to be a very important Council because I hope the leaders will send messages to the Ministers to proceed quickly and take the revenues from the frozen assets.  

Q. Will there be a message to Bosnia to start the accession talks?  

I don’t know, let’s see. 

Q. Are you going to discuss the situation with Bosnia today and possible kickoff for the negotiation process? Will you talk about a possible timeframe for that?  

I hope the leaders will agree on that. It is on the table. I hope they will agree on a push for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path to the European Union.  

Is there going to be any additional condition for that?  

I do not know. I cannot tell you what is going to happen. Thank you.  

Link to the video: https://newsroom.consilium.europa.eu/events/20240321-european-council-march-2024-day-1/144094-arrival-and-doorstep-eu-hr-borrell-20240321