EU's top diplomat urges military aid to Ukraine against 'new Russian offensive'

The EU's top diplomat on Wednesday urged the 27-member bloc to immediately provide arms and training to Ukraine's army, saying Russia's "new offensive" has begun.

Josep Borrell spoke at a debate dedicated to the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

The day before, he participated in the meeting of the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels where Ukrainian defense chief Oleksii Reznikov briefed NATO defense ministers on the situation and asked for more support.

Borrell stressed to EU lawmakers that "the reality on the ground is extremely worrying at the moment" and "this spring and upcoming summer are going to be decisive in the war" that started last February.

"The Russian counter-offensive has begun, even if on a small scale" with the deployment of over 360,000 Russian soldiers, twice as many as they were at the beginning, while Ukraine has fewer troops on the ground for the first time, he claimed.

"They need more ammunition and more training for Ukrainian troops."

Borrell accused the EU of spending "too much time on discussing decisions that should have been taken before" in a fear of getting involved in the war.

He called on the bloc to step up military aid to Kyiv because this is the way to "achieve peace."

Since the beginning of Russia's war on Ukraine, the EU and its member states have provided €50 billion ($53.6 billion) in direct support to Ukraine, including more than €12 billion in military aid.