EU FMs to hold emergency meeting amid Russia’s announcement of partial mobilization

Foreign ministers of European Union member states, currently in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly, will hold an emergency meeting on September 22 night to discuss the recent developments related to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the EU’s top diplomat announced at a press briefing, Report informs referring to CNN.

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said the meeting was called after a speech from Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Borrell described as the Russian leader's implicit threat to use nuclear weapons.

"Tonight, immediately after knowing the words of Mr. Putin, I am convening an extraordinary and ad hoc informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers with the purpose to agree on a common line. And the common line I'm sure can be summarized as saying, 'We will not be intimidated and will continue full support for Ukraine’s sovereignty,'" he said.

Borrell said Putin looked "like he [was] speaking with ... panic and desperation" in his announcement of an immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens.

"He is doubling [down] on a failing strategy. By the threat of using nuclear weapons, he is trying to intimidate Ukraine and all countries that support. But he will fail," Borrell said.

In response to a question about what will happen at tonight's emergency meeting, he said:

"I think ministers have to discuss this threat to reiterate continuous support for Ukraine and to alert the international community about the unacceptable situation in which Putin is putting all of us. The ministers will discuss how to continue military support to Ukraine, how to continue putting pressure on Russia."

He also said that new EU sanctions against Russia would be "on the table."

"I will start proposing what to do with sanctions. And we will reinforce our reach out to all states in the world in order to share with them our strong concern for this situation," Borrell said.

Borrell said he does not have plans to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is also in New York to attend the UN meeting.