The European Union is considering its response to an attempted drone strike at a German airport blamed on Russia, but is struggling to identify a way to tackle the threat without resorting to military action.
The German government announced on Tuesday that Moscow was behind the failed attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4, which involved an explosives carrying drone, and said it would close a Russian consulate among other retaliatory measures.
New precedent and diplomatic fallout
The nature of the incident and its attribution to Russia has set a new precedent. The drone was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft and the device was successfully defused. The airport serves as a major international freight hub utilised for channelling support to Ukraine.
"It is clear that it has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism. The question is: what do we do about this," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters before chairing a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Ireland.
Discussions centred on sanctions, visa restrictions and the closure of Russian consulates, among other potential measures.
France and Germany respond
French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed that France had summoned Russia's envoy to "protest strongly" and is seeking to impose sanctions on further vessels from the Kremlin's so-called shadow fleet. "We won't allow an act of such gravity without consequences," Mr Barrot said.
The EU has imposed almost two dozen packages of sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, hitting more than 3,000 officials, oligarchs and entities including banks, energy companies and drone makers.
The EU was already preparing to impose more travel bans and asset freezes on another 1,600 people, Ms Kallas said.
Russia rejects allegations
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the incident "marks a new escalation on European Union soil", and that her services "are looking at ways to cut deeper into Russia's war chest".
Germany insisted it was "not at war" but had become a "daily target" of the Kremlin's hybrid campaign. Mr Putin dismissed the allegations, saying Berlin wants to distract from its own failings and dissatisfaction among voters. Any proof being offered "has been planted", he added.
German foreign minister Johan Wadephul said Berlin had carefully prepared its response "and now Russia must live with these consequences". He called on Moscow "to show that it is also ready for reasonable talks and negotiations, particularly regarding the situation in Ukraine".
Russia's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned Germany's envoy, Bernd Finke. It said he was told Moscow "categorically rejects the completely trumped-up accusations levelled by Berlin regarding Russia's involvement in the alleged incident at the Leipzig airport". "The actions of the German authorities will be met with a harsh response," a ministry statement said.
Broader hybrid campaign and EU unity
Moscow has been widely accused by western officials of running a years-long campaign of sabotage and disruption with the aim of undermining support for Ukraine and destabilising European nations.
The failed attack in Germany is one of several incidents reported across Europe, including a fire this week at a major drone-making factory in Poland. Russia is suspected in many cases, and there have also been drone incursions in Estonia and Latvia resulting from Russia's war in Ukraine.
Spain has publicly accused Russia and Israel of using disinformation to incite migrants to cross from Morocco into its Ceuta exclave in northern Africa. Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares accused some of his EU partners of echoing that fake information, without naming them. "There are a lot of people outside the European Union that want to divide us, to make us weak," he told reporters, clearly linking Spain's migration challenges to the incidents in Germany and elsewhere along Europe's eastern flank. "The land borders of the south of the EU are as important as the eastern borders."
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband also attended the EU meeting, along with officials from Ukraine, Canada, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. "We see an attempt by Russia to divide us in Europe and to deter us from our support for Ukraine," he told reporters. "This attempt will fail. It will fail because we will stand up to Russian aggression. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with our friends in Ukraine" for "as long as it takes for them to prevail in this conflict."
Some ministers also raised the idea of using billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to help meet more of Ukraine's military and economic needs. Attempts to do so last year failed as Belgium, where most of the assets are held, refused to be exposed to Russian retaliation alone.
