Russia named a 'permanent threat' to Europe's security as leaders discuss a drone wall

LUXEMBOURG – Europe is not astatine warfare with Russia, but it needs to instrumentality its threats seriously, Luxembourg's caput of authorities told CNBC Tuesday successful an exclusive interview.

A fig of European nations person flagged caller Russian threats successful caller weeks. Poland, Romania and Estonia person each reported airspace violations by Russian jets oregon drones, portion Denmark cited respective "drone incidents" past week, and said it could not regularisation retired that Moscow was involved.

It has led immoderate European officials, including the EU's Commissioner for Economic Affairs Valdis Dombrovskis, to accidental Europe is already successful a "hybrid war" with Russia.

"We intelligibly spot that Russia has go a imperishable menace to European security," Luc Frieden, premier curate of Luxembourg, told CNBC Tuesday, though helium said helium did not yet judge the continent was facing a warfare with Russia.

"There's a definite benignant of provocation that we person to instrumentality seriously. I don't deliberation that we are astatine warfare with Russia, and I don't privation america to beryllium astatine war," helium said.

Frieden said his connection to Russia was to halt what it was doing and to permission the Ukrainians alone.

"We request to instrumentality your information interests seriously, but you besides request to cognize that you person nary accidental successful conquering Europe and there's nary accidental of re-establishing a Soviet Union," helium added.

Frieden's comments came connected the eve of a gathering of EU leaders wherever they volition beryllium debating caller measures designed to marque the continent safer. This includes the thought of a "drone wall" successful the eastbound portion of Europe, adjacent to the Russian border.

This defence strategy would beryllium designed to intercept unauthorized drones earlier they participate European airspace. 

The "drone partition inaugural is timely and necessary," NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte said Tuesday.  Luxembourg's person said helium needed "to perceive to the experts," but helium was unfastened to the idea. 

The conception is raising concerns that the bloc is inactive excessively dilatory successful improving its deterrence options, however.

"We are not talking astir a conception that volition beryllium realized successful the adjacent 3 oregon 4 years," Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said astatine an event, according to Politico.

The latest incidents besides item however ill-prepared the bloc is amid the increasing value of drones successful today's warfare. Dutch F-35 combatant jets were sent to Poland erstwhile it faced Russian drone incursions into its airspace.

 "In the end, we cannot walk millions of euros, oregon dollars, connected missiles to instrumentality retired the drones, which are lone costing a mates of 1000 dollars," NATO's Rutte added. "We request the drone wall."