EU Special Representative for Sanctions David O'Sullivan warned that Europe is "on the verge of a potential major conflict" and currently does not have enough resources to deal with it, with threats escalating due to the war in Ukraine and drone overflights over EU countries, writes UNN with reference to The Guardian.
When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I check is how many people died in Ukraine yesterday. This is not a drill. This is a real conflict, and it is testing us. And now we have seen drones in Denmark, in Munich, in Estonia, overflights. We are on the verge of a potential major conflict, and we are not ready to deal with it, it's that simple. I'm not even going to talk about our defense forces, but as Europe, we are not ready to deal with this, and it is absolutely right that we have put this forward as a critical agenda item.
O'Sullivan added that "this means we will have to spend more money on defense," although he would prefer it to be spent on schools and hospitals.
Addition
David O'Sullivan has been the EU's sanctions envoy since 2023, playing a key international role in developing the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, aimed at forcing Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
Earlier, UNN wrote that the EU is changing its sanctions strategy against Russia, preparing tougher restrictions instead of a phased increase in pressure. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced significantly stricter measures in energy, financial services, and trade, which will be included in the 19th sanctions package, agreed with the United States.