Von der Leyen: ‘Respond without hesitation to the hybrid war underway’

Brussels, 8 October (LaPresse) – “Something new and dangerous is happening in our skies. In the last two weeks, MiG fighter jets have violated Estonian airspace and drones have flown over critical sites in Belgium, Poland, Romania, Denmark and Germany. Flights have been grounded, jets have been scrambled and countermeasures have been deployed to ensure the safety of our citizens. We stand shoulder to shoulder with every Member State that has been targeted. Together, we will preserve peace wherever it is threatened. Let there be no doubt. This is part of a worrying pattern of increasing threats.” This was stated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her speech on recent Russian violations of EU airspace. ‘Across our Union, undersea cables have been cut, airports and logistics hubs paralysed by cyber attacks, and elections targeted by malicious influence campaigns,’ she continued. “These incidents are destined to remain in the shadows of deniability. This is not random harassment. It is a coherent and escalating campaign to unsettle our citizens, test our resolve, divide our Union and weaken our support for Ukraine. And it is time to call it what it is. This is hybrid warfare,‘ she remarked. ’This is a deliberate and targeted grey zone, a campaign against Europe. And Europe must respond. We must investigate every incident. And we must not hesitate to assign responsibility. Because every square centimetre of our territory must be protected,” he adds.