The European Union (EU) has established a system for imposing sanctions on individuals or organizations accused of cyberattacks, information manipulation, or acts of sabotage conducted on behalf of Russia to undermine EU support for Ukraine. This move comes in response to NATO’s earlier warning about Russian “hostile state activity” against several European countries, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and the U.K.
The Kremlin’s actions have been deemed a threat to allied security by NATO, which has observed an increase in such activities directed towards EU nations. The European Union acknowledges this rise in incidents, noting that Russia continues to disrupt satellite communications, violate airspace, and orchestrate physical attacks against individuals.
Both the EU and NATO face challenges in discouraging these types of attacks, as many of them fall below the threshold requiring a military response. To counteract these threats more effectively, the European Union has developed a new framework that enables it to target people, agencies, or organizations involved in undermining its fundamental values or “security, independence, and integrity.” However, no actual sanctions have been imposed yet, as they would require agreement from member countries before being implemented.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell emphasized the organization’s unity and determination to address these activities and hold those responsible accountable. He reaffirmed that EU support for Ukraine will remain “solid and unwavering” for as long as necessary.
Under this new framework, asset freezes and travel bans can be imposed on individuals or groups associated with various hybrid threats, such as undermining elections, democratic institutions, or economies; attacking critical infrastructure; or using migration to destabilize countries. This will allow the EU to target those responsible for Russia’s destabilizing actions worldwide, along with their associates and supporters.