EU Should Have Adopted A Regulation On Countering Russian Threats Back In 2014 — Czech Expert

Czech security expert Otakar Foltýn has argued that the European Union should have established a mechanism to counter Russian hybrid threats following the annexation of Crimea or at the very least, at the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine. Foltýn contends that Europe should have implemented such a system as early as 2014 or at latest in 2022, when the aggressive nature of the Kremlin became apparent, not just towards Ukraine but any state in its interests.

He stresses that for this system to be effective, it must be connected to Ukraine, and the deterrent strategy should involve providing Ukraine with more support than it has received thus far. Foltýn also highlights the significance of Ukraine as the strongest and largest bulwark within Europe against Kremlin aggression, and he firmly believes that Europe cannot envision any security measures without Ukraine's involvement.

Recently, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested in her State of the Union address that Europe should develop its own Article 4 of the NATO treaty for prompt consultations in case of a security threat to an EU member state, and a new body - the European Security Council, which would also encompass Ukraine. Von der Leyen emphasized the need for Europe to create a regulation for countering hybrid threats and a consensus on how to respond to incidents below the level of armed aggression that pose a clear danger to national security, effectively complementing NATO's Article 4.