Check against delivery! 

Good morning. This is my last G7 [Foreign Ministerial] meeting as High Representative and I could not expect [it] to take place in such a challenging situation, both in Ukraine and in the Middle East – and other places in the world like Sudan.  

Yesterday, we discussed the situation in the Middle East, and I explained to the ministers, and [also to] our Arab friends, my assessment of the situation because I am coming from Lebanon.  

I was in Lebanon. I was in Jordan. And I got first-hand information of what is going [on] there.  

In Lebanon, there is no excuses for [not implementing] a ceasefire. On the proposal agreement, brokered by the United States and France, Israel has all security concerns. There is not an excuse for not implementing a ceasefire. Otherwise, Lebanon will fall apart. In Lebanon, there are almost 4,000 civilian victims. All the South of Lebanon has been destroyed, fully destroyed.

The United Nations [Interim] Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) – I was with [Lieutenant] General [Aroldo] Lázaro [Sáenz], who is commanding the UNIFIL – are under attack. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) are also under attack by the Israeli army. Several of their soldiers, almost 50 of their soldiers, have been killed. A ceasefire is absolutely necessary if we want hundreds of thousands of displaced people to go back home. Well, to go back home – there are no more homes.  

There are no more places to go, because the South of Lebanon is fully destroyed. There is nothing left there. And [it is] not [destroyed] in combat, it is not because they are fighting. It is because they are imploding, voluntarily destroying all houses. 100,000 houses destroyed.  

So, let’s put pressure on Israel in order to approve the proposal of ceasefire today. But I heard voices from the extremist Ministers of the Israeli government [say they are] willing to continue the fight, wiling to continue the bombing. 

And every night, Beirut is under severe bombing. So, let’s hope that today Netanyahu’s government will approve the ceasefire agreement proposed by the United States and France. No more excuses. No more additional requests. Stop this fighting. Stop killing people. And let’s start thinking on peace.

This is on Lebanon. 

In Gaza, the situation is still worse. In Northern Gaza, there are about 250,000 people completely abandoned. 

The United Nations coordinator explained me [since] Monday – it means from yesterday – “we have to stop, because we do not have any food, we do not have any fuel; we cannot enter.” The humanitarian aid is fully impeded. By whom? By the Israeli army. 

Let’s say the truth. Let’s put a name [to it]: the humanitarian aid is completely impeded. No more humanitarian support entering into Northern Gaza. The United Nations are completely unable to continue supporting these people. 

That is why yesterday, I told my colleagues – to the Arabs, who came to discuss with us, to the Europeans – that it is good to continue saying nice words, but let’s act.  

Why do we not go to the United Nations Security Council, putting on the table the resolution just about humanitarian support to these people? The Two-State Solution will come later. Everything will come later.  

We are talking about weeks, or days. Go to the Security Council, and call to the conscience of the world in order to avoid the tragedy.  

Yes, hunger is being used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned. Let’s go to the Security Council and call to the countries of the world: this cannot happen. I know there is a statement that is being discussed today. Maybe, it will be agreed between Europeans and the Arabs, in order to push in this direction and to tell that the people who impede the humanitarian support have to become accountable. Let’s see. 

Then, there is the issue of the International Criminal Court. You know that the United States are in a completely different position because the United States has not signed the Rome Convention. Okay, the United States has not signed the Rome Convention, but all Member States of the European Union have signed the Rome Convention. 

It is not something that you can pick and choose. You cannot applaud when the Court goes against Putin and remain silent when the court goes against Netanyahu. This is the typical example of two weights and two measures, by which we are so much criticised. 

I asked the Member States of the European Union to fulfil the obligations under international law. Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a Court, as powerful as any national Court. If the Europeans do not support the International Criminal Court, then there will not be any hope for justice. 

Well, let’s see today which is the final result of our discussions – but I want to be clear on that. It is not an alternative. It is not an “I like it, or I do not like it”, it is an obligation. I hope that at the end of the day, we will be able to say clearly that the Europeans will fulfil our obligations under international law. 

The United States will have to do whatever they want to do, but I want a statement saying: “the Europeans will fulfil their obligations under international law.” 

Thank you.  

Q&A. 

Q. What do you expect from the agreement between Israel and Lebanon? The second one is about the International Court, it has no unity, as you said.  

I think I have been talking about it. I think I explained that the International Court is a Court, and its arrest warrants have to be implemented. If someone does not do it, they are breaking international law. 

Q. [inaudible – So how can you find a compromise?]

Well, we, Europeans, we will say – I hope – that we will fulfil all our obligations under international law. All our obligations under international law include the [International] Criminal Court. All our obligations under international law include our obligations with respect to the International Criminal Court, because it is part of our international obligations. About the ceasefire, I could not say [it] more clearly. There is a proposal on the table, brokered by the United States and by France, which gives Israel all the security commitments they were asking for. There are no excuses to reject this proposal. If they reject this proposal, then, I am sorry, I do not see what else we can do. 

Q. [inaudible] 

The agreement foresees the participation of France in the Implementation Committee. The Committee will be chaired by the United States. The Lebanese accepted that the United States would be chairing the Committee but asked for France to be on that Committee. This is one of the points that are still missing, because Israel does not want France to be part of it. The Lebanese are asking for it. France wants to help – the only purpose of France is to participate in order to make it implementable. If the Lebanese ask, and they are asking for it, [as] the Speaker for the Chamber, Mr Berri, told me clearly: “we want France to be in the implementation committee.” So, France is ready to participate, unless there is an Israeli veto. If there is not an Israeli veto, France will be there, and the implementation will be easier.  

Q. [inaudible] 

UNIFIL is doing a great job. I was discussing with the [Lieutenant] General [Aroldo] Lázaro [Sáenz], who explained all the difficulties they found on implementing this task. We have to rethink the way that UNIFIL works, but I am strongly supporting the participation of UNIFIL on keeping peace and stability on the South of Lebanon. 

Q. [inaudible] ceasefire? Who will guarantee the ceasefire?  

It is France and the United States.  

Q. Mr Borrell, did the G7 make you [inaudible] for Ukraine? 

Ukraine is this morning. Yesterday it was the Middle East. 

Q. [inaudible] what can you say? 

Look, we do not speculate. We have to continue working to give Ukraine the support that Ukraine needs. We, as Europeans, we are acting independently of what Mr Trump wants to do. We have our commitments. We have our capacities. When we claim we have a Strategic Autonomy, the least that we can say, and do, is continue supporting Ukraine. We are not pending on Mr Trump’s orders. Certainly, what the United States will do is very much important, but from our side, we have to continue putting all our capacity at the service of the Ukrainian’s defence. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister is here, to explain to us the situation. We will renew our engagement on supporting Ukraine. This is the position of the European Union – at least on the [past] Friday, when I will leave. I hope it will be the same on [the following] Monday. 

Q. President Trump has announced new tariffs. What will they mean for Europe?  

Well, it is not good news. It is not good news. If everybody starts putting tariffs on everybody – Mexico, Canada, China, Europe –, the world economy will be in very difficult circumstances because they are going to stop the dynamics of the growth. So, we are ready, we are prepared to do the countermeasures. I will not be in the Commission from Monday [on], so I cannot tell you what the Commission will do. I cannot engage the Commission form Monday [on]. But one thing is clear. If Trump opens a new trade war, and starts putting tariffs to everybody, it is not going to help the world economy, it is going to create difficulties to everyone, starting with the Americans themselves. 

Thank you.  

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-264590