Mellon: Russia poses danger in many EU security plans

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melon said on Sunday that Russia poses a greater threat to the security of the European Union than merely from the defence point of view, as Moscow can use illegal immigration and other issues to undermine the bloc.

The prime ministers of Finland, Italy, Sweden, Greece, as well as the EU foreign policy chief met at the weekend in Lapland in northern Finland to discuss security in the Nordic region and the Mediterranean, as well as migration challenges in southern Europe.

“We need to understand that the threat is much greater than we can imagine”, Mrs. Mellon said at a press conference when asked about Russia.

The risk to EU security by Russia or other actors will not disappear after the conflict in Ukraine ends, and the EU must be prepared for that, she said.

The “is about our democracy, about the impact that can be done to our public opinion, about what's happening in Africa, about the first classes, is about instrumentising migration. We need to understand that it's a very extensive security idea”, Mrs. Mellon said.

She called for the EU to do more to protect its borders and not allow Russia or any “criminal organisation” to control the flow of illegal immigrants. Several EU members, including Finland and Estonia, have accused Russia of allowing illegal immigrants from the Middle East and other countries to enter the EU states through Russia without proper controls, undermining EU security.

Moscow has denied that Russia is deliberately allowing illegal immigrants to go to the EU.

Finnish Prime Minister Petter Orpo said securing his country's 1,340km border with Russia is “a existential issue” for Finland and other EU members and NATO allies.

Mrs. Melon said the EU has erred by addressing the issue of immigration over the years from simply the point of view of the burden sharing.

The treatment of the issue of illegal immigration only as a debate based on solidarity was wrong,” she said. The result is that we couldn't protect our borders... We want to protect our external borders and not allow Russia or criminal organisations to undermine our security. ”

While NATO remains the “foundation of EU security”, the bloc has faced broader challenges, said Mrs. Melon, who heads a conservative government.

“probably also means critical infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cyber security, raw materials, supply chains. A new and more effective foreign policy and co-operative policy is meant, but immigration too,”, she said. / VOA