STRASBOURG: Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was seeking to test the West with a drone intrusion into Polish airspace.
“What he wants to do is to test us – really how far he can go. And every time he’s bolder, because he’s able to be bolder because our response hasn’t been strong enough,” Kallas told journalists.
“I think it’s a message that they are trying to send to really test our unity,” she added.
Kallas said the incident – in which NATO scrambled jets to help shoot down the drones – was a “game changer” that should push the EU to take tougher measures against Russia in an upcoming round of sanctions.
EU must ‘explore all avenues’ on using Russia assets: Kallas
She said that the prompt response to counter the violation of Poland’s airspace showed that Europe’s defences had worked – but that more must be done to be able to protect against drones.
“The drones were taken down, so that means that we are able to defend ourselves, but it’s clear that we need to do more,” she said.
She said she was weighing whether to convene talks with the bloc’s defence and foreign ministers to discuss further steps.
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