The threat to EU security from Russia will not cease after the war in Ukraine ends, and the EU must be prepared for this, said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, reports Reuters.
"It's about our democracy, the influence on our public opinion, what is happening in Africa, raw materials, and the instrumentalization of migration. We need to understand that this is a very broad concept of security," Meloni stated on Sunday in Finnish Lapland, where leaders from Italy, Sweden, and Greece met along with the EU's foreign minister to discuss security in the Northern region and the Mediterranean, as well as migration issues in Southern Europe.
According to her, Russia poses a greater threat to EU security than mere defense, as Moscow can exploit illegal immigration and other issues to undermine the bloc. "We must realize that the threat is much broader than we imagine," Meloni said at a press conference when asked about Russia.
She urged the EU to do more to protect its borders and not allow Russia or any "criminal organization" to direct flows of illegal migrants. Meloni stated that the EU has erred in addressing the immigration issue over the years simply in terms of how to share the burden. "As a result, we have failed to protect our borders... We want to secure our external borders and will not allow Russia or criminal organizations to undermine our security," the Italian Prime Minister said.
While NATO has remained the "cornerstone" of EU security, the bloc has had to address more extensive issues, Meloni noted. "Security also means critical infrastructure, it means artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, raw materials, supply chains. It means a new and more effective foreign and cooperative policy, it means migration," she explained.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, in turn, stated that ensuring the security of his country's 1,340 km border with Russia is an "existential" issue for Finland and other EU members and NATO allies.