Europe did not think Russia would invade Ukraine, admits top EU diplomat

‘I want to be informed by you, not by the press,’ says Josep Borrell

Josep Borrell hit out at Europe’s behaviour on the world stage [file photo] (AFP/Getty)

European Union diplomats received a dressing down from their boss for laziness, arrogance, stupidity and repeated failure to grasp the most pressing issues facing the world, including the war in Ukraine.

Josep Borrell, the EU foreign affairs chief, put the boot in during an address to his underlings at the European External Action Service.

“This is not a moment when we are going to send flowers to all of you saying that you are beautiful, you work very well and we are very happy, we are one big family,” the former Spanish foreign minister said, preparing his audience for a list of areas where he thinks they must improve.

“I do not want to blame and shame but this is something that I have to tell you. I want you to be more reactive, 24 hours a day,” he went on.

Mr Borrell accused his diplomats of running a sluggish and haphazard communications network that often proved slower than newspapers.

“I need you to report fast, in real time, on what is happening in your countries,” he said. “I want to be informed by you, not by the press. Sometimes, I knew more of what was happening somewhere by reading the newspapers than reading your reports. Your reports come sometimes too late.”

Europe is losing the battle for minds to its competitors in the east, in part due to a lack of understanding of the strength of internet influence, Mr Borrell added.

“We do not understand that it is a fight ...The Russians and the Chinese are very good in that. They are industrialising, they have [troll] farms systematically repeating, reaching everybody in the world,” he said.

Mr Borrell’s assessment of Europe’s stance in the days leading to the Ukraine war was despairing.

“We did not believe that the war was coming ... the Americans were telling us ‘they will attack, they will attack’, and we were quite reluctant to believe it.” It took Russia invading for Europe to accept the warnings, Mr Borrell said.

He was brutal in his assessment of the arrogance of European officials when dealing with poorer countries in Africa, Latin America or Asia.

European needs to listen more to these countries rather than continuing attemps to export its model. “For cultural, historical and economic reasons, this is no longer accepted,” he said. “Remember this sentence: ‘It is the identity, stupid’.

“It is no longer the economy, it is the identity. More and more, some identities are rising and willing to be recognised and accepted and not to be fused inside the ‘West’ approach.”