Borrell: “Putin and Trump haven’t won yet, but they can win; Europe must wake up » | International

Each story refers to another story which, in turn, refers to another story. Almost all the interlocutors questioned by Josep Borrell, head of European diplomacy, in this interview, refer to the seventh circle of Divine comedy: that of the violent. A war in the northern neighborhood has just celebrated its two-year anniversary: ​​Ukraine. Another in the Middle East, in Gaza, is on the path to disaster. A hurricane is brewing in the west, with the possible victory of Donald Trump in the United States. And pressure on the south bank, with a looming migration crisis to which the EU is responding with a Goebbels idea: “Fortress Europe”, with more than 1,200 kilometers of supposedly impenetrable walls. On the way to 77 years, Borrell (La Pobla de Segur, Lleida) avoids the suffocating language of European orthodoxy, and with all these risks in the four cardinal points, he offers a speech that, paradoxically, sees behind the greatest danger Closed doors: “What scares me the most is the fear of Europeans.”

“It’s a diffuse fear. A horizon of distrust that permeates everything, a vague feeling of fear. With a war here next door and another very close. With the upheaval in Africa and the suspicion that migrants could arrive uncontrolled. With a defense that we have outsourced to the United States, a military umbrella that Trump could close, with cheap energy that will no longer come from Russia, with the certainty that we are losing markets in Asia.

“We are an aging continent in a young world, hence this mixture of fear and uncertainty. Against this, there is always someone who offers a clear, simple and false answer: the ultras, these hyper-muscular leaders who tell us “we are strong, they will find out”, he underlines; “The European elections will be fundamental.”

These elections will take place in June. But first, spring and thaw will come: intelligence reports indicate that Russia is well prepared and that Ukraine is losing ground. Every tragedy has its prophecy, but victims only listen when there is no cure. Who wins? “Two years ago, Putin started a conflict that was supposed to last a week. And Ukraine is resisting. Russia approached to within eight kilometers of the kyiv parliament, but was repelled. I saw the charred rows of their tanks: they have not won the war, but they have not yet lost it.

The war caused a geopolitical awakening within the EU. And yet, we have the feeling that the Europeans have not done enough. Europe has delayed decisions on its military support, with leaders dragging their feet because public opinion doesn’t want it either. “The EU’s civil and military, economic and humanitarian aid exceeds that of the United States,” he responds. “And we made a qualitative leap: at the beginning we promised helmets; now we are sending F-16s. “If we want Ukraine to resist, we need to provide more aid and faster. »

Join EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without limits.

Subscribe

“Europe has realized that it lives in a dangerous world and that it has an aggressive state on its borders. We have to ask ourselves whether we want a Moscow puppet in kyiv, with Russian troops on the Polish border and the risk of a new invasion.” “Russia is an undemocratic regime capable of eliminating opponents like Navalny, or eliminating its deserters on European soil. Do we want it to reach the gates of Europe and control 36% of the world cereal market? The Russians have shown resilience: they are used to difficulties and they are not asked if they would prefer anything other than a war economy. We must ask ourselves what we can do.

Are European divisions an obstacle? “Alone Hungary, which concludes security agreements with China, has distanced itself. And yet, it pays its share of military aid to Ukraine and does not veto civilian aid. We demonstrated remarkable unity. But it is logical that hesitations arise among 27 countries: if we had overcome them quickly, with massive and immediate aid, Ukraine would have fared better. And U.S. too. How to win a war against a nuclear power that devotes 30% of its budget to defense? “Russia is at war with all its consequences. “Europe is not at war, but it does not fully understand what this war means for it. » “Putin has mobilized all his resources, he benefits from military support from Iran and North Korea, as well as economic support from China. Hence my appeal to Member States to ensure that their support is consistent with the type of warfare we face, a mixture of those of the last century and the most modern technologies. We must do more, and quickly: in the coming months, war could be decided. “To resist is to win.”

On the other side of the Atlantic, Trump is breaking NATO’s traditional pattern of deterrence. “It is scandalous that he invites Russia to attack countries that do not respect his conditions. And it is scandalous that there are Republicans who compare the war in Ukraine with migratory pressure from Mexico. We must assume our responsibilities, increase our defense capabilities and prepare for any eventuality. Trump hasn’t won yet, just like Putin, but Europe needs to wake up.”

The succession of wars and upheavals transforms the history of the third decade of the 21st century into a tragic story. Bolero by Ravel: Gaza is the other center of attention, with 1.7 million Palestinians crushed against a wall. What will Europe do in the event of a disaster? “We are already in the middle of a catastrophe. The United Nations had to suspend humanitarian aid: Israel uses hunger as a weapon of war, which is contrary to international law. We said it in Ukraine and it also applies today. Gaza was devastated: the use of force was disproportionate.

Spain and Ireland have called for the association agreements with Israel to be suspended if it is demonstrated that rights are being violated: “This is an extraordinary step forward and we put our finger on the sensitive point.” But Europe is not in a position to lead the United States in its demand for a ceasefire, perhaps because there is no common position within the EU either: “At the United Nations, we voted divided, 18 in favor against 9 abstentions. »

The weight of history explains the position of Germany, even of the Germans, at the head of the institutions: the President of the Commission, the German Ursula von der Leyen, made a visit to Tel Aviv during which she defended the right to defend oneself against Israel without imposing any limits on it. “The catastrophe in Gaza is not the result of an earthquake or a flood: it is the consequence of devastating military action. Hamas is an idea, and an idea can only be fought with another idea: (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s plans for Gaza are unacceptable. The seeds of hatred have been sown for generations. It is an open secret that the Israelis financed Hamas and played to divide the Palestinians. Or that the United States’ position is taking its toll on (President Joe) Biden among the young Democratic electorate. And that Von der Leyen’s trip, with an absolutely pro-Israeli stance, without representing anyone other than herself in international politics, had a high geopolitical cost for Europe. »

Borrell leaves a few more messages for Von der Leyen. First: “It announces that there will be a Defense Commissioner, but the Commission has no power in defense matters, only in the defense industry. “I would like to know what the legal basis of your proposal is.” And secondly: “It is legal for her to want a second term, but not for her to personally attribute all the successes: there is a college of commissioners of different political colors who took decisions, she should pay more attention to the neutrality when she is both president and candidate. “He should ensure that his party, the European PP, does not fall into the temptation of allying with the ultras, thus abandoning its traditional alliances.”

Follow all international news on Facebook And Xor in our weekly newsletter.

_