Western allies finally find ways to respond to Kremlin’s policies, - Times
Russia is using drones, cyberattacks and disinformation to destabilise the West. Europe is forming a coordinated defence, and Moldova has chosen a pro-European course.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported by the editorial board of The Times newspaper.
Russia has recently carried out provocative actions in Europe: it launched drones towards Poland and Romania, forced airports in Denmark and Norway to temporarily suspend operations, and entered Estonian airspace without permission, posing a threat to a German frigate in the Baltic Sea.
At the same time, the elections in Moldova were a decisive moment. Despite large-scale attempts by Russia to influence the outcome, the majority of citizens supported a pro-European course. The pro-Russian party came in second place by a large margin in the 28 September elections. On the eve of the elections, the country's authorities announced that they had foiled a plot to destabilise the country.
The West is responding more and more decisively. First, British Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed plans to create a "drone wall", which will include modern British systems. Poland and its partners will strengthen the border with Belarus.
Secondly, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz intends to propose at the EU summit in Copenhagen that frozen Russian assets be used to form an interest-free loan to Ukraine for $160 billion. Interest on these funds already brings Ukraine about $8 billion annually.
Thirdly, the 19th package of EU sanctions against Russia is almost ready. It covers the oil and gas industries, combining with Ukraine's strikes on Russian energy. Among the new measures are secondary sanctions against China for buying cheap Russian oil and a ban on imports of Russian LNG, which opens up new markets for Europe.
The editorial board concludes that these steps do not guarantee Ukraine's automatic victory, as the plan for frozen assets requires time and complex legal procedures. At the same time, the West is demonstrating unity and readiness for decisive action — and this is already a significant signal.
