Europe's security in danger: Kallas warns of Russian threats!

Europe's security in danger: Kallas warns of Russian threats!

Saariselkä, Finnland - Europe is opposed to a serious threat scenario that goes from Russia, as the EU foreign representative Kaja Kallas emphasized at a summit in Finland. In this informal meeting of heads of state and government of European countries, including Finland, Italy, Sweden and Greece, Kallas warned of the increasing complexity of the threats that extend over the entire continent. "Russia is a direct threat to Europe's security," she said. These dangers manifest themselves in different forms, be it in the east, south, north or west of the continent. Kallas particularly emphasized hybrid threats, including cyber attacks and sabotage on critical infrastructures.

irregular migration as a strategy

A central concern that was also addressed at the summit is the use of irregular migration as a political means of pressure. This topic has gained urgency in recent years, as more and more Member States, including Finland and Estonia, are accusing Russia, to steer migrants from the Middle East and other regions in order to destabilize the security situation. Kaja Kallas underlined that the EU can only face these challenges together and with a solid cooperation. At a press conference, the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed: "We have to understand that the threat is much larger than we imagine." The situation requires a more comprehensive view of security, which also include the influences in Africa and control over resources.

The Finnish government sees the security situation on the 1,340 km long border with Russia as a “existential” challenge. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo emphasized that the protection of this border for Finland and other EU countries was of the utmost importance. Meloni also demanded that the EU have to rethink its strategies to contain illegal migration in order to protect itself against what it called "criminal organizations". Russia rejects all allegations of exploiting illegal migration, but the situation remains tense and requires urgent measures.

For further details on this serious topic, see the reports of OE24 and Orf .