Latest news with #Borrell
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel committing genocide in Gaza, says EU's former top diplomat
The former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has launched a blistering attack on Israel, accusing its government of committing genocide in Gaza and 'carrying out the largest ethnic-cleansing operation since the end of the second world war in order to create a splendid holiday destination'. Borrell, a former Spanish foreign minister who served as the EU's top diplomat from 2019 to 2024, and president of the European parliament from 2004 to 2007, also criticised the bloc's failure to use all the means at its disposal to influence Israel, saying expressions of regret were simply not enough. As he collected the Charles V European award in front of dignitaries including King Felipe in south-west Spain on Friday, Borrell said the horrors Israel had suffered in the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 could not justify the horrors it had subsequently inflicted on Gaza. 'We're facing the largest ethnic cleansing operation since the end of the second world war in order to create a splendid holiday destination once all the millions of tonnes of rubble have been cleared from Gaza and the Palestinians have died or gone away,' he said in a characteristically direct speech. The former diplomat accused Israel of violating all the rules of conflict and of using the starvation of Gaza's civilian population as a 'weapon of war'. 'Three times more explosive power has been dropped on Gaza than was used in the Hiroshima bomb,' he said. 'And for months now, nothing has been getting into Gaza. Nothing: no water, no food, no electricity, no fuel, no medical services. That's what [Benjamin] Netanyau's ministers have said and it's what they've done.' He added: 'We all know what's going on there, and we've all heard the objectives stated by Netanyau's ministers, which are clear declarations of genocidal intent. Seldom have I heard the leader of a state so clearly outline a plan that fits the legal definition of genocide.' Borrell went on to take Europe to task for shirking its moral and humanitarian responsibilities over Gaza. 'Europe has the capacity and the means not only to protest against what is going on but also to influence [Israel's] conduct,' he said. 'But it is not doing so. We supply half the bombs that are falling on Gaza. If we really believe that too many people are dying, then the natural response would be to supply fewer weapons and to use the lever of the association agreement to demand that international humanitarian law is respected, instead of just lamenting that that isn't happening.' The veteran socialist politician also used his speech to reflect on current geopolitical realities, which he described as unprecedented. The post-1945 world order, he said, was being demolished by Vladimir Putin, 'a tyrant whose military failure in Ukraine has made him more dangerous', and by Donald Trump who he described as 'the master of chaos, who has gone from being an ally to an adversary'. The question facing Europe, he added, was how well it would cope without the protections long afforded by its old ally across the Atlantic. 'In order to deal with this situation, we need to move from structural pacifism to strong rearmament, but we need to do that on a European scale if we want to avoid the waste that stirs the old national demons,' said Borrell. 'We need to shift away from a comfortable and atavistic Atlanticism, which has seen us delegate our security to the US, to building full European sovereignty, which will also mean giving Europe a fiscal and security dimension.' Related: How Trump's walkaway diplomacy enabled Israel's worst impulses He said that Europe was no longer the great driver, or chronicler, of world history. 'Today, history has become a product that's imported,' Borrell added. 'History has been written by the Russian soldiers who marched towards Kyiv in the early hours of a February morning, and by the Ukrainians who resisted. History is being written by the US voters who put Mr Trump back in the White House.' History, he went on, was now the story of the technological competition between the US and China. In what appeared to be a swipe at Trump, Borrell added: 'The faces of history today are those of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. None of them is European. I know them – well, I know them a bit – and I can assure you that of those three, two are more intelligent than the third. The thing is the third one doesn't know it.'
Russia Today
25-05-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Western Europe considers buying US arms for Ukraine
Western European leaders are looking into the possibility of purchasing American weapons and giving them to Ukraine once the arms transfers approved by the previous administration of US President Joe Biden run out, Bloomberg has reported on Saturday. US President Donald Trump reiterated earlier this week that Washington could 'walk away' from the Ukraine conflict if the American-brokered talks between Moscow and Kiev do not deliver any meaningful results. 'This is a European situation. It should have remained a European situation,' he said. A proposal to buy arms from the US for Ukraine so that it could continue fighting Russia is currently 'gaining more credence' in the EU and UK amid concerns that American deliveries would cease in summer, Bloomberg reports. 'The idea is that if Trump refuses to send US weapons to Ukraine, Europe will,' people familiar with the matter explained to the agency. The heads of the European NATO member-states believe that if they will also be able to persuade Trump to continue providing intelligence to Kiev then 'Vladimir Zelensky may be able to hang on,' the sources said. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that France had reached the limits of its capacity to supply domestically-produced weapons to Ukraine. 'We cannot give what we do not have, and we cannot pluck our own army. We gave everything we could, tripled production,' he stated. In March 2024, then-Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell described the strain on the EU's weapons stockpiles, noting that after two years of military support to Kiev, 'existing stocks are depleted and the conflict has evolved from a war of stocks to a war of production.' He also pointed out that the European defense industry meets only around 40% of its own needs, meaning that member states import the majority of their military equipment. Since returning to office in January 2025, President Trump has not announced any new US-funded military aid packages to Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly warned that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine will not stop its military objectives but will prolong the conflict and raise the risk of NATO confrontation. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier said the Trump administration 'wants peace,' unlike Western Europe, which seeks to prolong the fighting. On Saturday, the Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Moscow's commitment to a peaceful resolution despite increased Ukrainian drone strikes.
Days of Palestine
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Borrell: Half of the Bombs Falling on Gaza Come from Europe
DaysofPal- Former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell delivered a scathing critique of European complicity in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, declaring that 'Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and half of the bombs falling on the Strip come from us.' Speaking during a ceremony at the historic Monastery of Yuste in Spain, where he was awarded the Carlos V European Award, Borrell issued one of the strongest public condemnations yet by a European official of both the Israeli military campaign and the European Union's response. In his address, Borrell did not mince words, asserting that Europe is witnessing 'the largest ethnic cleansing since World War II.' He accused Israeli authorities of pursuing a policy of extermination against Palestinians in Gaza, to transform the besieged enclave into a 'tourist resort' once the population is displaced or eliminated. His comments referenced a controversial proposal supported by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which envisions relocating Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries under the pretext of converting the territory into a global tourism hub. 'The bombs that are killing civilians in Gaza are not just Israeli,' Borrell said. 'Half of them come from Europe. And yet the European Union is not doing its utmost to stop this.' He criticized EU member states for continuing arms exports to the Israeli occupation and failing to exert meaningful diplomatic pressure to end the conflict. According to Borrell, the EU's lack of decisive action has made it complicit in the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. Borrell's speech also highlighted the Arab-led initiative aimed at reconstructing Gaza without displacing its population. Backed by Egypt, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the $53 billion plan proposes a five-year rebuilding process, with guarantees to preserve Palestinian sovereignty and prevent forced relocation. However, both the Israeli occupation and the United States have rejected the plan, favoring alternatives that involve resettling Palestinians in countries like Egypt and Jordan—a proposal that has been firmly opposed by those nations and widely rejected across the Arab world. Turning to broader geopolitical issues, Borrell issued a stark warning to Europe's younger generations. He stressed the urgent need for the continent to advance its financial and military integration to remain resilient in an increasingly unstable world. 'The main challenge facing Europe is no longer internal peace, but how to manage its relations with the rest of the world,' he said. He urged European leaders to prepare for external shocks and confront the rise of global authoritarianism, referencing figures like Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as threats to global stability. Borrell also criticized the EU's delayed military support for Ukraine in the early stages of Russia's invasion, arguing that the lack of timely arms deliveries had 'dire consequences.' He warned that unless Europe strengthens its defense capabilities and foreign policy coherence, it risks being overwhelmed by future crises. His speech concluded with a call for moral clarity and political courage: 'Europe must not look away. Silence and inaction are no longer options. If we want to remain a continent of values, we must act like one.' Shortlink for this post:
Jordan News
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Jordan News
European Official: The Two-State Solution is the Only Path to Lasting Peace and Security - Jordan News
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, emphasized last night that the two-state solution remains the only way to achieve lasting peace and security in the Middle East. اضافة اعلان Speaking at the annual session held by the UN Security Council on cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union in maintaining international peace and security, Borrell stated that the European Union supports diplomatic efforts through the "International Coalition for the Two-State Solution." The European official pointed to the EU's mission at the Rafah border crossing, explaining it as a tangible contribution to supporting the ceasefire agreement on the ground. Borrell firmly rejected any attempts to alter facts on the ground or change the demographic composition of Gaza or any other region in the world. Additionally, Borrell welcomed the Arab recovery and reconstruction plan recently presented at the Arab League summit in Cairo and also endorsed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, announcing that the EU will study these ideas with its Arab partners. (Petra)
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lafayette man printing cards to educate on immigrant rights despite ICE threat of arrest for impeding with raids
DENVER (KDVR) — In the wake of the head of ICE hinting at possible arrests for impeding any raids, one Colorado man is working to inform immigrants of their rights. Lafayette resident Alex Borrell is an immigrant himself. 'I actually came to the country in 1996,' he said. Man suspected of attempted murder taken into custody while finishing pizza He moved to Florida from Argentina with his mom when he was only six years old. Decades later, he's a legal American citizen here in Colorado like any other, with football memorabilia and Grateful Dead posters in the living room. 'I feel blessed to be here,' said Borrell. The citizenship process took 16 years, a long period in which he felt scared of being sent home just like many do today. His experience pushed him to create what he calls red cards, printed-out cards sharing immigrant rights with people who need them. 'The right that you don't have to answer any questions without a lawyer, the rights that you don't have to open the door for anybody without a warrant, that they need a judicial warrant,' said Borrell. 'So pretty much the basic rights that all, not only just United States citizens, but anybody that relies in the United States has.' Just this week, ICE director, Tom Homan, expressed frustration in a Fox News interview with people he said are impeding ICE raids. 'We're not going to tolerate it anymore. This is not a game,' said Homan. Going so far as to say that he's looking into prosecution for people who may provide information to undocumented citizens. 'That's why I'm working very close, starting this morning, with the Department of Justice,' said Homan. 'Where do they cross that line of impediment? So they may find themselves in a pair of handcuffs very soon.' Borrell said the comments don't worry him. 'It doesn't concern me more than, honestly, angers me,' he said. Family of seven, several pets out of Denver home after dryer fire reignites, spreads to home He isn't prepared to slow down on the already 30,000 cards he's printed. 'If you have uneducated people it's a whole lot easier to tell somebody, like, hey you're here illegally, get in that car,' said Borrell, hoping to provide help to people in situations like he once was. 'I'm going to show up in the biggest force that I can to make sure that everybody is educated.' Borrell is printing those cards in several different languages, including Spanish, English, Russian, Chinese and Vietnamese because he said that it isn't just the Hispanic community in fear of deportation. Borrell has a GoFundMe set up to help print even more cards. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
