LOC18:51
15:51 GMT
BRUSSELS, Oct 1 (KUNA) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that Russia "will not succeed in sowing division and anxiety" within the European Union", at the start of an EU defense summit hosted by Denmark.
"Itآ’s a pattern, and this pattern is coming from Russia," von der Leyen told reporters as the meetings kicked off to discuss incidents of mysterious drone flights in several European countries including Estonia and Denmark.
"Russia tries to test us, but Russia also tries to sow division and anxiety in our societies. We will not let this happen," she said.
For her part, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose country currently holds the EUآ’s rotating presidency, called on Europe to strengthen its response to what she described as Russiaآ’s "hybrid war".
"I hope that everybody recognises now that there is a hybrid war," she said, adding "We face the greatest security challenge since the end of the Second World War."
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron underlined that the continent is "in a confrontation with Russia," pointing to Moscowآ’s "disinformation campaigns, cyber attacks and airspace violations".
In the same context, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said "Russia is causing tremendous damage in Ukraine," stressing that "it is not right that anybody else should pay for it.
She added that the European Council would discuss a reparations loan backed by frozen Russian assets "to help Ukraine defend itself".
The European Commission has already approved a package of measures including a 150 billion euro loan scheme to finance defence spending, of which eastern European countries took the lionآ’s share. Brussels is now proposing that member states cooperate on four flagship projects: a drone wall, strengthening the eastern flank, missile defences, and a space shield. (end)
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