EU Foreign Chief: "Europe Must Prepare for Full-Scale War Beyond Ukraine"

Russian Threat Warning Message

The head of European Union (EU) diplomacy warned on the 9th (local time) that Europe must prepare for a full-scale war beyond Ukraine.

According to the British daily Financial Times (FT), Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in a speech in Brussels, Belgium, that Russia is "threatening Europe" through the war in Ukraine and hybrid attacks on EU member states. He added, "The war is clearly approaching us," and "a high-intensity conventional war in Europe is no longer a fantasy." FT reported that this is the first time Borrell explicitly mentioned the threat from Russia.

Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
[Photo by Yonhap News]

In Europe, concerns have recently grown that Russia could attack other European countries following Ukraine. Anxiety intensified especially after former U.S. President Donald Trump made remarks implying that if Europe does not increase defense spending, he would allow Russia to invade European countries without intervention.

On the same day, Borrell referred to the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas, as well as the unstable situation in North Africa, saying, "The Berlin Wall has been replaced by a ring of fire around us." He urged for increased investment in defense, stating that Europe's security situation is facing an "existential crisis." In particular, he said, "The U.S. defense umbrella we have relied on since the Cold War may not always be open," and "depending on who governs Washington, we may no longer be able to rely on U.S. protection."

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has pledged to spend more than 2% of GDP on defense, but many member countries have failed to meet this commitment.