On 30 September, EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell visited Odesa to show solidarity and support for Ukraine, on the one-year anniversary of the illegal annexation of four regions by Russian troops.

“A year has passed since Russia’s illegal annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Ukraine has every right to defend itself against Russian aggression and regain full control of its territory,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

A year has passed since Russia’s illegal annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia & Kherson.

Ukraine has every right to defend itself against the Russian aggression and regain full control of its territory.

The EU stands with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) September 30, 2023

Speaking from inside the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, which was damaged in a Russian attack on 23 July, he called Odesa “a beautiful historic city” that should be in the “headlines for its vibrant culture and spirit” but instead, “it marks the news as a frequent target of Putin’s war.

“I’ve been witnessing the consequences of this war, and how Odesa and Ukraine are paying a high price for it,” he added.

In addition, Borrell said that the EU would stand with Ukraine “for as long as it takes.”