Jean-Claude Juncker
The head of the European Commission (EC) Jean-Claude Juncker, said about the impossibility of achieving comprehensive security in Europe without Russia. He said this at a meeting with heads of diplomatic missions of the EU in Brussels. Recording of his speech is available on the website of the EC.
“All EU countries is 5.5 million square kilometers. Russia alone is 17.5 million. Have more questions? It is therefore important, without abandoning our values and our principles, keeping in mind the annexation of Crimea, it is necessary to find a way to engage in dialogue with Russia about our common future,” quotes his words TASS.
According to Juncker, the Europeans need to stop acting as the masters of the world, as the EU’s role on the world stage is declining and will continue to decline. “The story goes very fast and sometimes faster than we know it. We feel and behave as masters of the world, whereas today we need to act more modest,” he said.
During the same speech, Juncker refused to consider Ukraine part of the European Union and NATO. “I saw that my friend [Petro] Poroshenko a few days ago said that Ukraine is the EU, is NATO. At the moment it is neither one nor the other. All should know this,” said Juncker. He added that currently in the world there are 60 wars, “of these, none is in Europe, except Ukraine, which is not European in the sense of the European Union”.