All of Europe must realize the "urgency" of resisting Russia and the "predator" Vladimir Putin. This sharp statement against the Russian dictator was made by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, writes UNN with reference to Euractiv.
Details
Speaking in Riga alongside Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, the Commission President stated that Moscow's "hybrid warfare" against Europe and increasingly fierce attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure demonstrate that "the entire EU" must strengthen its "immediate readiness" to repel a potential Russian invasion.
These comments came after the EU representation in Ukraine in Kyiv was "seriously damaged" by a Russian strike on Thursday, deepening the rift with Moscow and dealing another blow to Brussels' desire for a diplomatic resolution to the war.
Dear Evika, the risks that your country and other Baltic states warned us about have, unfortunately, materialized. Putin is a predator. Putin's associates have been attacking our societies with hybrid and cyberattacks for years. Latvia has the right sense of urgency, but the entire EU must understand what is important.
Von der Leyen's comments also came amid deep reluctance from many Western European countries to increase military spending, despite reduced US military involvement in Europe and Russia's battlefield gains in Ukraine three and a half years after its full-scale invasion.
Spain, one of the 22 EU countries that are also NATO members, was the only country that refused to increase military spending to 5% of annual GDP at the US-led military alliance summit in June, compared to the previous target of 2%.
Latvia, on the other hand, is one of the countries with the highest military spending per capita in Europe, and the government is expected to spend 3.65% of its annual output on defense in 2025.
Ursula von der Leyen, whose visit to Riga marks the beginning of a four-day trip to the EU's "frontline" countries, also praised Latvia's "impressive" developments in drone technology after visiting a production facility earlier on Friday.
Addition
EU High Representative Josep Borrell and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, together with the Commission led by Margrethe Kallas, published a statement on the official EU website, in which they strongly condemned Russia's latest large-scale attacks on Ukraine. The position was supported by 26 member states of the Union.