A statement by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was taken out of context by the Russian Embassy in London

By: Pallavi Sethi
May 15 2023

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Context

In an interview with Euronews at the European University Institute's State of the Union 2023 on May 5, 2023, EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell expanded on the EU's policy decisions in supporting Ukraine against Russia's illegal invasion. Following the discussion, the Russian Embassy's official Twitter and Facebook account claimed Borrell "admitted" that the EU could prevent the conflict "if the West stopped providing military support to Ukraine." It shared excerpts from his interview without providing full context.

In Fact

The Russian Embassy in London shared two quotes from Borrell's interview with Euronews. The post failed to provide full context and insinuated that the EU could prevent or stop the war from happening if it withdrew support from Ukraine. The quotes read, "If we don't support Ukraine, Ukraine will fall in a matter of days," and "Don't tell me to stop supporting Ukraine, because if I stop supporting Ukraine, certainly the war will finish soon."

Since the Russian Embassy in London shared the post, several Telegram channels in the U.K. that repeatedly spread misinformation have circulated the claim, denouncing the EU.

Although Borrell made the statements in question, he also said withdrawing support from Ukraine would mean the "Russian troops will be in the Polish border and Ukraine will become a second Belarus." In response to a question about his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Borrell said, "Stop this war. And stop bombing Ukraine, withdraw your troops."

Peter Stano, lead spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy at the European Commission, clarified to Logically Facts that Borrell's statements meant that the "EU has to support Ukraine in order for Ukraine to be able to defend itself against an illegal aggression." Stano told Logically Facts that "disinfo outlets" had manipulated Borrell's interview.

In early May 2023, the EU Parliament voted in favor of the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), which allows the European defense industry to increase ammunition production capacity and deliver this to Ukraine, allocating a €500 million budget to the project. Borrell admitted the EU would prefer to spend this money on "the well-being of the people, hospitals, schools, the cities," but as "Putin is continuing the war [...] if we don't support Ukraine, Ukraine will fall, in a matter of days."

The Verdict

Josep Borrell's statements clarified the importance of EU support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's illegal invasion. The Russian Embassy in London failed to provide full context on Borrell's interview. We have therefore rated this claim as misleading.