EU wants place at table to discuss Ukraine, Russia crisis

The European Union’s foreign policy chief is insisting that the 27-nation bloc must have a bigger role to play alongside Washington and Moscow to defuse the West’s standoff with Russia over Ukraine

BRUSSELS -- The European Union's foreign policy chief insisted on Wednesday that the 27-nation bloc must have a bigger role to play alongside Washington and Moscow to defuse the West's standoff with Russia over Ukraine.

In the diplomatic flurry surrounding the Russian military buildup on Ukraine's border the EU has largely been a bystander. This highlights a deeper frustration in Brussels: even though the EU is a massive global economic powerhouse, its strategic geopolitical footprint remains disproportionately small.

“There are not two actors alone. It’s not just the US and Russia," said Josep Borrell during a visit to Ukraine on Wednesday. "If you want to talk about security in Europe, the Europeans have to be part of the table.”

So far, the EU's plea for a bigger role has largely fallen on deaf ears.