EU Commission President Warns Putin Threatens Europe, Urges Defense Boost

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has repeatedly described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a 'predator' whose aggression extends beyond Ukraine and threatens European countries through hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, and the weaponization of migrants. Speaking alongside Baltic and other EU leaders, she emphasized that Putin's history of launching wars in Chechnya, Georgia, Crimea, and Ukraine demonstrates that he will not change and must be contained by strong deterrence measures. To address this threat, von der Leyen highlighted the EU's plans to strengthen its defense posture, including an €800 billion defense industrial plan and calls for greater financial flexibility among member states to invest in their security. NATO members are also poised to spend over $1.5 trillion on defense by 2025 as part of a broader militarization effort driven by Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and pressure from the United States. These moves come amid Russia's dismissal of Western claims as fearmongering and insistence on demands such as demilitarization and neutrality in any settlement with Ukraine. The EU continues to debate measures like 'Article 5-like guarantees' for Ukraine and the deployment of peacekeeping troops, despite Russian opposition.