Commenting on the Western alliance's response to the attacks on Ukraine and Israel, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said that one cannot give the same answer because the circumstances are not the same - Israel has an Iron Dome that cannot be built "overnight" even if it had the money, while the EU is working to increase Ukraine's air defense capabilities. He said this after a meeting of EU foreign ministers on April 16, UNN reports.
Details
Asked whether, when the Western alliance's support for Israel during this weekend's attack was discussed, it was also discussing today President Zelensky's request to support Ukraine in the same way, i.e., by firing drones and missiles, Borrell indicated that this was not the first time he had been asked this question, calling it "a perfectly reasonable question.
"If I were in President Zelenskyy's shoes, I would certainly take this opportunity to mention that Ukraine is also being bombed. (...) We are working, I in particular, and all the ministers, to increase the air defense capabilities of Ukraine. I hope that on Monday at the Council of Defense Ministers we can make firm and concrete commitments on this issue," the EU High Representative said.
There are things that cannot be compared. Israel has an Iron Dome that protects its airspace, which took years and years to build, and it is very expensive. Even if we had money in a box, it could not be built overnight. Secondly, Iran's strikes were carried out over the air bases of the armies of France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Jordan. They crossed their bases, which also acted in self-defense. This does not happen in Ukraine. There are no UK or US air bases on the territory of Ukraine, nor on the territory over which Russian missiles are flying, and certainly not Jordan. Therefore, one cannot give the same answer, because the circumstances are not the same. But, having said that, of course, air defense supplies to Ukraine should be accelerated and strengthened. Absolutely. And (in this regard) I hope that on Monday we will be able to put concrete decisions on the table by the member states that can do that. We have been working all week to get this