ECFR Analyst Highlights Europe's Weak Response to Russian Hybrid Warfare
Fredrik Wesslau, an analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), has criticized Europe's response to Russia's hybrid warfare as 'too weak and too late.' This assessment comes amidst escalating tensions, with Russia employing various tactics short of conventional armed conflict, including sabotage of critical infrastructure, cyberattacks, airspace violations, and disinformation campaigns. The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, recently stated that Europe is in a 'new era of European security' following incidents like the drone attack at Leipzig airport, which German authorities attributed to Moscow. Wesslau argues that democratic societies cannot respond symmetrically to these attacks, citing Germany's diplomatic-only response to the Leipzig incident as insufficient. He suggests that Europe has avenues for offensive action in the cyber realm and in pursuing Russia's 'shadow fleet,' in addition to increasing aid to Ukraine. 
