EU needs broad response to hybrid warfare threats, von der Leyen says
STRASBOURG (Reuters) -EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that recent drone incidents and other airspace violations showed Europe was facing a hybrid war to which it must respond with measures that go beyond traditional defence.
“This is not random harassment,” Von der Leyen said in her speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
“It’s a consistent and escalating campaign to unsettle our citizens, test our resolve, divide our Union, and weaken our support for Ukraine. And it’s time to call it by its name. This is a hybrid war.”
Von der Leyen did not say Russia was responsible for all events, but said it was clear that Russia’s aim was to “sow the seeds of division” in Europe.
European officials attributed some of the recent events to Moscow.
“Fighting Russia’s hybrid war is not just about conventional defence,” von der Leyen said. “This requires a new mindset for all of us. We can either remain timid and watch Russia’s threats escalate, or we can confront these threats with unity, deterrence and determination.”
(Reporting by Bart Meijer, Andrew Gray, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout)
