Ursula von der Leyen defended the creation of a common defense system against the Russian hybrid war and called for extending protection to the southern flank
The debate on continental security coincided with a new motion presented in the European Parliament by radical left and nationalist right sectors, which seek to erode Von der Leyen's leadership. However, the president is expected to retain enough support to continue her term.
"We can stand by and watch as Russian threats intensify, or confront them with unity and determination," Von der Leyen remarked before the MEPs. She also emphasized that the founding mission of the bloc "is to preserve peace," and that achieving this today requires deterrence capacity in the face of aggression and provocation.
Meanwhile, the EU's High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, described Russia's summer offensive in eastern Ukraine as a "failure" and condemned the recent bombings against civilians. "Russia is hiding its defeat with terrorist attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure," she denounced.
Kallas confirmed that the European bloc will continue to support Kyiv "for as long as necessary" and announced that a new package of sanctions is being prepared along with funding and delivery of weapons. "Russia won't stop until it's forced to do so," she concluded.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, proposed moving forward with the implementation of an anti-drone wall as part of the continental strategy to confront the growing hybrid war driven by Russia. During her speech at the European Parliament, the community leader warned that the recent drone attacks are not isolated incidents, but part of "a calculated campaign to destabilize the European Union and weaken its support for Ukraine."
Von der Leyen indicated that the project—called Eastern Sentinel—is designed to protect the eastern flank of the bloc, although she supported the position of southern countries such as Spain, Italy, and Greece, which are calling for it to be extended to their borders to respond to threats such as illegal migration or natural disasters. "We must build an affordable, fast, and effective system, capable of detecting, intercepting, and neutralizing threats in the air," she stated.
The President of the European Commission maintained that the Russian strategy combines drone attacks, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, disinformation campaigns, and sabotage of undersea cables. "It's time to call it by its name: this is a hybrid war and we must take it seriously," Von der Leyen emphasized.
The anti-drone wall will be part of the European plan to shield the airspace and protect sensitive infrastructure, in a context in which several member countries have reported violations of their sovereignty by unauthorized incursions. The initiative also seeks to strengthen technological and military cooperation within the EU, consolidating a more robust common defense policy.
