EU now NATO’s ‘economic department’ – Russia

The European Union has devolved to the level of “NATO’s economic relations department,” the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed on Saturday.

Following his visit to Ukraine, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, tweeted: “This war must be won on the battlefield.” Such militant remarks coming from the diplomat prompted a reaction from Moscow.

“So much for ‘economic organization.’ This is no longer the European Union. It's just NATO's economic relations department,” Zakharova wrote.

Since the launch of the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24, NATO countries have significantly increased their already hefty supplies of weapons and ammunition to Kiev. However, they have stayed clear of entering direct military confrontation with Russia. Two days ago, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba urged NATO countries to keep providing Kiev with “weapons, weapons, and weapons,” explaining that by fighting Russia, Ukraine is not only defending itself but also bolstering the security of the bloc’s members.

Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in late February, following Kiev’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements signed in 2014, and Russia’s eventual recognition of the Donbass republics. The German and French brokered Minsk Protocol was designed to regularize the status of the regions within the Ukrainian state.

Russia has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join the US-led NATO military alliance. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force.