The European Union on Thursday welcomed Ukraine’s retaking of parts of its territory hitherto occupied by Russia but said it must wait to see the situation in Kherson, showing signs of distrust that Russian troops have withdrawn from the area.
«We welcome all reports of Ukraine regaining control of more parts of its territory. However, we will continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground,» Foreign Ministry spokesman Peter Stano told Europa Press.
In this regard, he said that Russia «is known for making unreliable statements», even more so in the context of the war it is waging against Ukraine.
The EU has been defending the Ukrainian counter-offensives and applauds the courage of Ukrainian troops to regain their territory in the midst of Russian aggression. «We fully support Ukraine in its legitimate efforts to liberate its territories and restore its territorial integrity,» the Foreign Affairs spokesman stressed.
According to the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, the successes on the ground in Ukraine are evidence that the European strategy of support to Ukraine against Russia is working and proof of this is the progress made on the ground to liberate areas captured by the Russian army in February.
The message is in line with the caution shown by NATO, especially after the Ukrainian authorities warned that the withdrawal of troops in the Kherson region could be a strategic decision to regroup their forces.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said that Russian troops «are not ready to leave the city» and suggested that the Russian army intends to defend Kherson, despite Wednesday’s announcement.
