Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the EU Commission, stated on Wednesday that recent drone incidents and other airspace violations demonstrate that Europe is confronting hybrid warfare, to which it must respond with measures that go beyond traditional defense.
Von der Leyen stated, "This is not random harassment," during a speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg."It is a coordinated and intensifying effort to agitate our populace, try our resolve, split our Union, and erode our backing for Ukraine. And now is the moment to address it by name. It's hybrid warfare.
Although von der Leyen did not blame Russia for every incident, he did state that it was obvious that Russia's goal was to "sow division" in Europe.
Moscow has already been blamed by European officials for some of the recent events.
Von der Leyen stated, "It is not just about traditional defense when it comes to fighting Russia's hybrid war."
"We all need to adopt a new mindset for this. We have two options: either we stand by and let Russian threats grow, or we confront them with solidarity, deterrence, and determination.
