FT: the EU will create an analogue of article 4 of the NATO Charter to respond to threats from Russia

EU countries will discuss the possibility of a tougher response to hybrid attacks, for which they blame Russia. The reason for this was the incident at the Leipzig airport and the bombing of railway tracks in Poland, according to the Financial Times, citing sources. The EU Defence Ministerial Council will meet in Brussels on 28 September to discuss responses.

On the agenda of the meeting is the consideration of a new protocol, which in early September was proposed by the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. It is expected that the EU countries will adopt a mechanism for joint response to threats that do not reach the level of military aggression, but already pose a risk to national security.

The protocol is considered the European equivalent of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which refers to joint actions of the alliance in the event of a threat to one of the countries. The article itself does not imply military intervention, but may lead to the triggering of Article 5 on collective defence.

On the night of August 5, a drone with explosives was found at Leipzig airport near a Ukrainian cargo plane carrying ammunition. Based on the intelligence and type of device assembly, the German authorities blamed Russia. Poland later joined the charges. On September 13, a local railway operator reported a drone attack on a passenger train en route from Kiev to Warsaw. The Russian authorities deny involvement in these incidents.