The EU and NATO accuse Russia of a "new escalation" in attacks against Europe: "It's the new normal"

BarcelonaThe drone attack at the beginning of August on Leipzig Airport in Germany has put the European Union and NATO on alert, who view with concern how incursions with military devices into European territory are becoming increasingly frequent. The day after German authorities the Russian intelligence services were responsible for the Leipzig incident, this Wednesday, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Mark Rutte, met urgently in Brussels, and have promised to increase pressure against Moscow.

"It was an attack with military material, carried out by Russian agents on European Union territory," said Von der Leyen, who considered it a "new escalation on European soil". "Europe and NATO will not only maintain pressure on Russia. We will also increase it and we will not stop," assured the president of the Community executive. Von der Leyen stated that this incident "is part of a broader pattern of increasingly dangerous incidents" and lamented that "Europeans are facing the harsh reality that this is the new normal."

He cited recurring incursions into European airspace, drones that paralyze airports and interference with critical infrastructure, and argued that Europeans must "take a step forward," which means "being prepared to respond to Russia's recklessness more quickly and effectively."

Rutte has also warned that Russia has become "increasingly reckless" and has considered that the arms industry needs to "step up" with new factories or production lines, but that it is also necessary to "facilitate cooperation" between companies in the sector, both within Europe and across the Alliance, which includes the powerful industry of the United States.

"State-sponsored terrorism" by the Russian state

The head of the European Union's foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, has said that the Leipzig attacks have "all the characteristics of state-sponsored terrorism" and has also promised to respond "with determination." She said this during an informal meeting of Foreign Ministers in Ireland, where she stated that the EU is working on sanctions related to the Russian military complex.

The EU and several EU member states have summoned officials from Russian embassies, and Germany has announced that it will close its consulate in Bonn and terminate its agreement with the Russian House cultural center in Berlin. For its part, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the German chargé d'affaires in Moscow following Berlin's accusations of Russian involvement in the attack on Leipzig airport.