Borrell spoke today at Saint Antony's College, University of Oxford, England, about the global geopolitical situation and, in particular, about the two armed conflicts that the world is witnessing: Ukraine and the Middle East.

In his speech, entitled 'Europe facing two wars', the EU's chief diplomat insisted on the threat posed by the Russian President and stressed that more and more voices are warning of the global consequences of a Russian victory.

The Russian President sees the entire West as his adversary and repeats it on Russian state television, added Borrell, who believes that Europeans are not prepared for the harshness of the world to which they have finally woken up.

Borrell quoted Bulgarian political scientist Ivan Krastev to say that "it is one thing to wake up and another to find the strength to get out of bed".

"In some cases, we are still in bed," he added, referring to the war in Ukraine, and stressing the "gravity of the current moment".

"And then came another war," with the attack by the terrorist organization Hamas on Israeli territory on October 7 and Israel's disproportionate response, he said.

The EU's chief diplomat said that the land must be "shared", so that Palestinians and Israelis can live side by side, so it is important to find a solution for the Middle East, he said, stressing that Europeans have a strong responsibility in this search.

Borrell gave as an example of hope the peace process in Northern Ireland, which seemed impossible to resolve, but years of patient negotiations led to the Good Friday Agreement (1998), which ended the sectarian conflict between pro-British Protestants and pro-Irish Catholics.

However, Borrell warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not want a two-state solution and that Europe continues to ask him what he wants in order to have an answer that avoids another human tragedy.

In his speech, the High Representative argued that, in order to face the current geopolitical situation, it is necessary to diversify trade ties and deepen cooperation with those who share European values and interests, citing the United Kingdom, despite its exit from the European Union.

He also stressed that, in today's world, there is more confrontation and less cooperation, with the United States losing its hegemony, while China has grown and is its rival.

At the same time, middle powers such as India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey are emerging as important players on the world stage, he added.

Among other aspects, he indicated that climate change is not a future concern because it is already present, at the same time that technological changes and rapid demographic evolution are taking place, particularly in Africa, where 25% of the world's population will live by 2050.

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