Europe must give Ukraine the ability to strike critical Russian targets after drone attacks or else prepare for a continuation of hybrid war, says Ivo Daalder. According to the Russian pattern, unpunished aggression will only grow.
After Trump came to power, all support for Ukraine now rests in European hands. At the same time, Kyiv continues to hold the front. Therefore, the only way Moscow can currently achieve victory in the war is by weakening support for Ukraine within Europe.
By launching swarms of drones at Poland and likely at other countries as well violating borders with aircraft, Moscow is playing on fears of a wider war. With airport closures, companies are also suffering losses.
“Through this, they want to make the idea that supporting Ukraine is harmful more popular among Europeans, while also giving a boost to politicians in Europe who are oriented toward restoring cooperation with Russia,”
says Andrii Kovalenko from the Center for Countering Disinformation.
But Europe is not responding by shooting down Russian aircraft or taking other countermeasures. Such a strategy will likely only lead to more frequent and intensified attacks. Kovalenko stresses that ignoring Russia will not help to restrain it.
“Because Russia’s goal is a dependent Europe, a return to its sphere of influence from the USSR times. And behind Russia stands China, interested in a Chinese Europe oriented toward Beijing. Therefore, Europe has no alternative but to fight and take symmetrical actions against Russia,”
he explains.
Daalder makes the same point. Europe has not taken this threat seriously. Its response has only been to work on resilience while, at times publicly, condemning Russia’s actions.
Meanwhile, Russia has never paid any price for its acts of sabotage or even for attacks on NATO, the strongest alliance in the world.
Earlier, in June 2025, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, warned of the threat of a global military conflict involving Russia and China as early as 2027, BILD reports.
Speaking at a meeting of military officials and defense industry representatives in Wiesbaden, he emphasized that the EU and the US have only 18 months to prepare for a potential war.