Jutta Urpilainen, who is responsible for the European Union’s international partnerships, hopes that as many countries as possible will join the alliance against Russia. “That’s what we work for every day,” he says in an interview with .
Although the war is in Europe, the crisis is global.
This is what the EU Commissioner summed up Jutta Urpilainen. He is responsible for the Union’s international partnerships, the development of development cooperation and, in particular, the strengthening of relations with Africa.
These have a lot to do at the moment. Russia’s war of aggression has shaken the continental shelves of international relations and is also reflected in the EU’s international relations.
– None of us know what the world will look like after the war. A situation where the world is divided between the West and the rest of the world should be avoided. It is not in the interests of Finland or the EU, says Urpilainen, who visited Helsinki on Europe Day.
Many countries in the world have condemned the Russian attack, but many are also ignoring or standing in support of Russia. As many as two-thirds of the world’s population is estimated to live in countries that have not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The assessment was published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) at the end of March.
Africa is well divided in terms of Russia’s war of aggression. Several countries on the continent – such as Sudan, Mozambique and Angola – are leaning towards Russia, according to the EIU. Eritrea, on the other hand, is clearly pro-Russian. What does this say about the EU’s influence on the continent? Has the EU somehow failed in its relations with Africa?
– It’s hard for me to see it that way. Each country makes its own decisions, Urpilainen says.
– Of course, we hope that as many people as possible will join the alliance against Russia and unequivocally condemn Russia’s actions. That is what we work for every day.
Cooperation must continue, even if the country does not condemn Russia
The EU is a giant in development aid. Overall, the EU and its Member States together are the world’s largest donor of development aid. In 2020, development aid totaled around € 67 billion.
According to Urpilainen, support channels will not be cut off from countries that are on the Russian side or have not clearly condemned its actions. Countries must not be “punished” for abstaining from voting in certain UN General Assembly votes, Urpilainen says.
– I do not think it is the right way to strengthen the partnership or connect these countries to European values.
According to Urpilainen, instead, the EU must strengthen its partnerships around the world, as they are important in the long term – even after the end of the war in Ukraine. How, then, are partnerships strengthened in practice?
By being actively connected, Urpilainen says.
– I myself recently visited three African countries.
– We strive to discuss with partners and build a common vision that it is in everyone’s interest to create a multipolar world in which international action is based on rules, not power.
The rest of the world must not be forgotten
One of the most critical things on Urpilainen’s work list at the moment is preventing the global food crisis.
The war has disrupted the world food market and the number of people starving is expected to rise. Russia and Ukraine are important production areas, accounting for more than a quarter of world wheat exports.
The EU, for its part, provides humanitarian aid, but the long-term solution to the food crisis is to strengthen African countries’ own food production, Urpilainen says.
– It is important that although Ukraine is our number one priority now, we will not forget the rest of the world. This is not the only conflict that is unfortunately ongoing at the moment.
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