High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell published an opinion article dedicated to the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to him, February 24, 2022 "will forever be remembered as the day when Russia launched a brutal, unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine."

“It is an example of pure aggression and a clear violation of the UN Charter. This war is not a “purely European affair” and not a “struggle of the West against everyone”. It decides what kind of world we all want to live in, because no one can be safe in a world where the illegal use of force by a nuclear power and a permanent member of the UN Security Council can somehow be “normalized”. Therefore, the operation of international law must be ensured everywhere in order to protect everyone from power politics, blackmail and military attacks,” said Josep Borrell.

He stressed that "Russia is continuing to violate the UN Charter every day, creating a dangerous precedent for the whole world with its imperialist policy."

“Every day, Russia is continuing to kill innocent Ukrainian women, men and children, showering cities and civilian objects with a hail of missiles. Every day Russia continues to sow lies and fabrications,” the diplomat said.

In his opinion, there are no alternatives for the European Union and its partners to continue the implementation of the “triple strategy” - support for Ukraine, pressure on Russia to force it to stop illegal aggression and help the rest of the world in the fight against its negative consequences.

“We have been doing this for a year now, and successfully. We have imposed unprecedented sanctions, reduced our dependence on Russian fossil fuels, and, in close cooperation with major partners, have reduced by 50% the profits from the sale of energy products, through which the Kremlin finances its aggression. Working together, we are also smoothing out its spillovers for the world and are seeing a decline in food and energy prices, partly achieved through our “corridors of solidarity” and the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” he listed.

Josep Borrell also pointed out that for the first time in its history the EU is supplying weapons to an attacked country. Moreover, now the EU is the leading source of training for the armed forces of Ukraine, so that they can defend their country, the representative of the European Union said.

He noted that the EU was also working "to bring to justice the perpetrators of war crimes committed by Russia."

“Ukraine is showing amazing resilience, thanks in part to our support. And Russia is becoming more isolated thanks to global sanctions and international condemnation by the vast majority of the countries of the UN General Assembly. Our common goal was and remains the victory of democratic Ukraine, the expulsion of the invaders, the complete restoration of its sovereignty, and with it the international legal order,” he wrote.

According to him, "Russia's aggressive revisionism and its destabilizing activities in general represent a global threat that affects the countries of Central Asia as well."

“We have already seen how the Russian propaganda machine works, seeking to stir up the past and making efforts on an industrial scale for information manipulation and foreign interference. Therefore, the EU is counteracting this threat and is counting on the support of its partners here,” Josep Borrell said.

The head of European diplomacy emphasized that, more broadly, "the Russian invasion underscores the need for both Europe and Central Asia to avoid overdependence."

“Accordingly, we need to expand our cooperation. Both sides are interested in developing a resilient and open social order, ensuring a green economic recovery and green transformation, and protecting our population from security threats such as terrorism, as well as drug trafficking, weapons and human trafficking,” he added.

In addition, the EU wants the region to be an open space for infrastructure connectivity and cooperation, the diplomat said.

Josep Borrell believes that "history and justice are on the side of Ukraine."

“But in order to accelerate the course of history and achieve justice, we need to actively pursue our “triple strategy”. We understand that this is a collective task. Therefore, the EU calls on all its partners to act in the spirit of common responsibility in order not to allow aggression and ensure the triumph of international law,” he urged.