EU foreign policy chief claims Russia planning 'more sabotage acts' against Europe

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas claimed on Monday that Russia was planning "more sabotage acts" and attacks against European democracies, calling for greater vigilance and preventive action. "We see in the intelligence that Russia is planning more sabotage acts and attacks against our democracy to divide our society, to intimidate our societies from refraining to help Ukraine. So, this is something that they have in mind, and we have to keep this in mind as well to be standing up to these threats," Kallas said ahead of an EU defence ministers' meeting in Brussels. European countries, she added, should be able to act before such attacks take place. EU defence ministers are to discuss the bloc's response to hybrid attacks, including a proposed emergency protocol that would be activated in response to any threat targeting member states. She said the meeting would also address European defence readiness, support for Ukraine, and the security situation in the Middle East. On European defence capabilities, Kallas said EU investment in defence has increased, but significant capability gaps remain, and the focus should now be on filling those gaps. On the Middle East, Kallas said the EU's naval Operation Aspides requires additional assets, particularly ships capable of escorting vessels through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. She said the EU would discuss whether ships offered to a separate "coalition of the willing" could temporarily be assigned to Operation Aspides.