Six European countries accuse Russia of waging hybrid warfare

The foreign ministers of six European countries — France, Britain, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Germany — have accused Russia of escalating hybrid warfare against NATO and the European Union (EU), warning of significant security risks posed by Moscow's growing activities.

In a joint statement issued following a meeting in Brussels, the ministers criticized Russia for its ongoing attacks on European security architecture, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

"Russia is systematically attacking the European security architecture... "Moscow's escalating hybrid activities against NATO and EU countries are unprecedented in their variety and scale, creating significant security risk," the statement reads," the statement reads.

The ministers highlighted a series of concerns, accusing Russia of revisionism and deepening its alliances with Iran and North Korea. They also noted Moscow's reluctance to engage in constructive negotiations regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

In response to these growing threats, the foreign ministers called for several measures to strengthen NATO's defence capabilities. They urged member states to increase defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP or higher, as well as investing more in the EU's military-industrial complex. Additionally, the ministers voiced their support for further military and economic assistance to Ukraine, including backing a $50 billion loan to help meet Ukraine's financial needs for 2025.

On November 19, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that the largest EU countries had agreed to take on a greater responsibility for supporting Ukraine amid concerns about a potential reduction in US involvement. Earlier, Estonia had urged the EU to send troops to Ukraine in response to fears over Donald Trump’s stance on the conflict.

By Vafa Guliyeva