EU reiterates support for Kyiv to regain its territorial integrity

“HThere’s a birthday today. It is a time to remember that part of Ukrainian territory, the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporijia and Kherson, were illegally annexed by Russia, as was Crimea before. We will support Ukraine in its struggle to regain its territorial integrity”, said the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, on the day Moscow celebrates the annexation of those four Ukrainian regions.

In a video message during his unannounced visit to Ukraine, Borrell stated that his presence in that country aims to show European support for Kiev, from a military, economic, political point of view and diplomatic activity to seek peace, but “a just peace that preserves the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine.”

Josep Borrell took the moment to pay tribute to all the men and women in Ukraine who fight for their country’s sovereignty.

Odesa is a beautiful historic city. It should be in the headlines for its vibrant culture & spirit.

Instead, it marks the news as frequent target of Putin’s war.

The EU supports the stabilisation of sites impacted by Russia’s barbarically destruction.
↓https://t.co/GSaSr71RSW

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) September 30, 2023

Odessa, despite being “such a beautiful city”, is on the front pages of newspapers not because of its “cultural activities” or “its beauty and its history”, but rather because of Russia’s “barbaric attacks”, which destroyed infrastructure ports and their churches, he lamented.

“I witnessed the consequences of this war and how Ukraine and Odessa are paying a very high price. This is a good example of how Russia is destroying, trying to destroy, Ukraine,” he added.

Moscow today celebrated the so-called “Reunification Day”, to commemorate the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, which it still does not control in its entirety and where Russian troops seek to contain the advance of Kiev’s forces.

However, the fighting has not yet lost intensity, especially in the regions of Zaporijia and Donetsk, in the south and east of the country, where since June Ukrainian troops have been trying to carry out a counteroffensive, slowed down by the density of Russian defensive lines.

The Institute for the Study of War in the United States noted in its latest report that Ukrainian forces continued attack operations in the area of ​​Robotine, Verbove, Novoprokopivka, in Zaporijia, and south of Bajmut, in the eastern part of Donetsk.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed today that Kiev’s troops launched a total of seven attacks on the Donetsk front, but that they were repelled by Moscow’s forces, with artillery and air support.

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