Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark, has warned that Europe must arm itself in the face of Russian hybrid warfare.
“I hope everyone understands that there is a hybrid war where there is one that involves Poland, one that involves Denmark, and the other where there is likely to see sabotage or drones flying,” Frederiksen told reporters on Wednesday.
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She was facilitating a summit of European leaders, where they discussed how to collaborate on better defense and deterrence.
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, was present as well, and he urged the EU to approach Russia cautiously.
Macron said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the summit in Copenhagen that “we must all be very cautious because we are in a time of confrontation with a lot of hybridity.”
“We must be strong to stop aggressions, but we must also be very cautious and steer clear of any escalation,” he continued.
Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, also warned against overreacting.
“Despite everything, I believe we must think in a calm manner. I believe that provocations shouldn’t be used against us. That is certainly true, and we must equip ourselves, she said.
Conventional methods like tanks and missiles are used in hybrid warfare, as well as unconventional ones like cyberattacks and internet disinformation, according to the authors.
The French president cited cyberattacks during elections, its war against Ukraine, the use of nuclear threats, and recent airspace violations as evidence that Russia has been “a very aggressive player” for some time.
Following a number of drone incidents last week that occurred close to the country’s airports and military installations, the EU’s heads of state and prime ministers convened in Denmark’s capital.
A unique radar system was installed at Copenhagen Airport prior to the meeting to aid in surveillance. A week ago, the airfield was closed due to unidentified drones, which caused significant disruption.
Prior to the talks, Denmark received aircraft, ships, and air defense systems from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK.
There is only one country that is willing to threaten us, and that is Russia, so we need a very strong response back, according to Frederiksen, despite the Danish authorities’ failure to identify those suspected of doing so.
In response to growing threats, the Danish prime minister made an appeal for rearmament.
“We need to rearm,” I want. I want to purchase additional capabilities. For instance, she cited the need for more innovation in drone technology. “I believe that this is the most challenging and dangerous situation for Europe to date since the end of World War II,” he said.
Airspace violations
Over the past month, serious airspace violations have been reported in Europe, but not everyone is in agreement on a plan.
Macron last week claimed that the alliance’s response would have to “go up a notch” in the event of “new provocations” from Moscow after Russia was held responsible for drone incursions against NATO members Poland and Romania.
If a Russian fighter jet were to enter European airspace, Macron did not rule out downing it.
In an interview with the German daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, he said, “In accordance with the doctrine of strategic ambiguity, I can tell you that nothing is ruled out.”
Poland reported last month that it had shot down Russian drones as Moscow launched an airstrike against Ukraine, while Romania’s defense ministry claimed a drone had breached its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Macron also alleged on Wednesday that an oil tanker off the coast of France had “very serious wrongdoings” and connected it to Russia’s shadow fleet, which is avoiding Western sanctions for its involvement in Ukraine’s conflict.
Last week, the tanker was off the coast of Denmark, and Danish naval experts cited it as having flown drones over the Nordic nation.
In the shadows of US President Donald Trump’s commitment to NATO, leaders and intelligence services predicted that Russia would launch an offensive elsewhere in Europe in three to five years following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
