The European Union (EU) must be ready to accept 5 million refugees fleeing Ukraine.

APA reports quoting CNN that EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borreli told journalists before the meeting of EU foreign ministers.

"We must be ready to accept 5 million people.

As we know, during the migrant crisis in Europe, during the Syrian crisis in 2015-2016, we were talking about 1.5 million people.

It will be more now, "Borrell said.

He added that the EU should not be content with just humanitarian aid to receive refugees, but should mobilize its resources to support EU countries bordering Ukraine.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi said yesterday that 1.5 million people had fled Ukraine in the past 10 days to neighboring countries.

He noted that this was the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.