Russian army will be ‘annihilated’ if it uses nuclear weapons: Borrell

A Russian nuclear strike towards Ukraine would set off “such a robust reply” from the West that the Russian military could be “annihilated,” stated Josep Borrell, the EU’s overseas coverage chief.

His feedback are available response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s more and more combative rhetoric. 

After signing a partial mobilisation decree to spice up the Russian military ranks on 21 September, Putin warned NATO that his nation had “numerous technique of destruction” at its disposal to defend its “territorial integrity.”

“It is not a bluff,” Putin stated.

In blunt remarks on Thursday, Borrell immediately replied to the Russian chief’s threats.

“There’s the nuclear menace, and Putin is saying he isn’t bluffing. Nicely, he can’t afford bluffing,” Borrell stated throughout a European Diplomatic Academy occasion in Bruges.

“It needs to be clear that the folks supporting Ukraine and the European Union and the member states, and america and NATO will not be bluffing neither.” 

“And any nuclear assault towards Ukraine will create a solution — not a nuclear reply however such a robust reply from the army aspect — that the Russian military can be annihilated, and Putin shouldn’t be bluffing,” he stated.

Borrell spoke of a “critical second of historical past” and painted a grim image of profound uncertainty and instability for world politics because of Russia’s invasion.

The diplomat stated the present rules-based system was being “challenged like by no means earlier than”.

“We’re undoubtedly out of the Chilly Warfare and the post-Chilly Warfare. The post-Chilly Warfare has ended with the Ukrainian warfare, with the Russian aggression towards Ukraine,” he informed the viewers.

“This warfare is altering numerous issues, and definitely it’s altering the European Union. This warfare will create a unique European Union, from completely different views.”

Borrell additionally described Europe as a “backyard” of political freedom and financial prosperity however added the remainder of the world was largely a “jungle.”

“The jungle might invade the backyard. The gardeners ought to deal with it, however they won’t shield the backyard by constructing partitions. A pleasant small backyard surrounded by excessive partitions with a purpose to stop the jungle from coming in just isn’t going to be an answer. As a result of the jungle has a powerful progress capability, and the wall won’t ever be excessive sufficient with a purpose to shield the backyard,” he stated.

“The gardeners need to go to the jungle. Europeans need to be far more engaged with the remainder of the world.”

Requested about Borrell’s feedback on nuclear annihilation, a European Fee spokesperson stated a Russian nuclear strike towards Ukraine could be a “whole game-changer” and that EU nations have been getting ready for any attainable situation.

‘I needs to be the best-informed man on the earth’

This isn’t the primary time this week that Borrell delivers a surprisingly candid message.

On Monday, the diplomat declared the EU’s period of dependencies, together with on low-cost Russian fuel, to be over and stated the bloc’s mushy energy was dwindling.

“The USA took care of our safety […] China and Russia offered the idea of our prosperity. It is a world that’s now not there,” he informed the annual convention of EU ambassadors.

Borrell spoke of a world below a “messy multipolarity” structured round US-China competitors which co-exists inside a broader divide between democracies and authoritarian regimes.

“On our aspect, there are numerous authoritarian regimes. We can’t say ‘we’re the democracies,’ and those which observe us are additionally democracies — that’s not true,” he stated.

The EU’s overseas coverage chief confessed that European nations didn’t consider Russia was going to launch the full-scale invasion, regardless of repeated warnings from US officers.

“We didn’t consider that this was going to occur, and we didn’t foresee that Ukraine was prepared to withstand as fiercely and as efficiently as they’re doing,” he stated.

In what was arguably probably the most surprising second of the speech, Borrell publicly berated the EU ambassadors current on the occasion for not reporting quick sufficient about developments of their respective nations.

“Typically, I knew extra of what was occurring someplace by studying the newspapers than studying your stories. Your stories come typically too late,” he informed the ambassadors.

“Having all of you all over the world, I needs to be the perfect knowledgeable particular person on the earth — not less than as a lot as any International Affairs Minister. I’m ‘International Affairs Minister of Europe’. Behave as you’d behave when you have been an embassy.”

Talking on the similar convention, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen praised the ambassadors for doing “wonderful work” on the bottom.