Europe's response to Russia's hybrid attacks must be just as painful for Moscow - EU Commissioner
Kyiv • UNN
European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius called on the EU to strengthen its response to hybrid attacks attributed to Russia. He spoke out against dialogue with the Kremlin.
The EU must respond more forcefully to hybrid attacks attributed to Moscow. European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius said this in an interview with Euronews, rejecting calls to begin a diplomatic dialogue with the Kremlin, UNN reports.
Details
"Russia must feel the full force of the European response to hybrid attacks," said European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius.
"If we are hit by Russian hybrid attacks, our response must be just as painful as the attack itself," Kubilius said during an interview at the Euronews Summit on Defence and Space. "How can such pain be inflicted? That is up to us."
Recently, Europe has recorded an increase in the number of hybrid attacks attributed to Moscow: earlier this week, Estonia accused the Kremlin of organising the arson attack on a company manufacturing drones supplied to Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Germany held Moscow responsible for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
Kubilius warned that Russia seeks to sow fear, "occupying people's hearts and minds," and called on Europe to strengthen its response measures:
"If a hybrid war is being waged against us, we need hybrid defence," he said.
The EU commissioner rejected calls for diplomatic contacts with the Kremlin
The European Commissioner, who previously served as Prime Minister of Lithuania, also rejected calls for diplomatic contacts with the Kremlin in order to end the war in Ukraine.
Earlier on Wednesday, 30 September, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at the Euronews Summit that the EU should enter into a diplomatic dialogue with Russia.
"There is a limit to just delivering weapons and supporting, because the final peace set-up will be done by diplomacy, not by delivering weapons. So our call is to listen more to each other, to open the lines of communication," Radev said on Tuesday.
"The problem is that no one is raising the question about nuclear risk. Does it exist? Maybe not, I don't know, but this is a risk," he went on.
European Commissioner Kubilius said that diplomatic efforts had produced no results and threatened to weaken Ukraine's position.
"The Russians are taking an extremely clear position: Ukraine must capitulate—that is their diplomacy," he said. "Putin must understand that, as a result, he will achieve nothing through this war, and Putin must feel that the war is coming to Russia itself."
He also warned that opening a diplomatic track with Russia could encourage Putin to escalate further and put Europe's security at even greater risk.
"In my view, this does not lead to anything that could ensure security for both Ukraine and all of Europe," he explained. "It would be a victory for Putin, and we can imagine what would happen next."