Italian protection minister accuses Russia of waging hybrid struggle – POLITICO

It’s “absurd” and “unsustainable” that the West is doing so little to react to Russian assaults, Crosetto wrote. If we have been invaded by a land military we “wouldn’t merely barricade ourselves at house hoping they might go away.” 

The West is engaged in an “uneven battle,” he wrote, it has the instruments to reply however, shackled by its personal democratic processes and the sluggish and consensus-driven decision-making of the EU and NATO, its actions are “consistently lagging” behind Russia’s.

Different international locations that pose a risk embody China, Iran and North Korea, he wrote.

The frequency of hybrid assaults its rising, as Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin makes use of the “built-in use of army and non-military instruments to destabilize its rivals, erode their inner cohesion and affect their political will.”

Assaults embody: accusations {that a} infamous Russian army intelligence hacking group focused protection, transport and tech corporations concerned in serving to Ukraine; arson assaults on depots containing gear destined for Ukraine in Poland; Russian ally Belarus weaponizing migrants to destabilize Poland; drones of unknown origin buzzing airports throughout the continent; and Moscow being accused of undermining the presidential election in Romania.

Poland known as a Sunday rail line explosion “sabotage” and on Tuesday blamed two Ukrainians working for Russia.