Ursula von der Leyen, firm message for the Kremlin, after the Russian hybrid attack on the airport in Leipzig: "We will not tolerate this"

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasized that the incident in Leipzig, directly attributed to Russia, marks a new escalation on European territory and warns that "this is part of a broader pattern of increasingly dangerous incidents."

Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, and Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, met on Wednesday in Brussels to address Russia's hybrid attack on the airport in Leipzig, Germany, from August.

Berlin has accused Moscow of involvement in the drone attack, and the investigation has confirmed Russia's responsibility.

Following this incident, the EU and NATO expressed solidarity with Germany and promised to increase pressure on Russia.

Von der Leyen emphasized that the attack represents an escalation of Russian threats on European territory and called on Europeans to prepare for a new normal.

"Therefore, I want to be very clear about what this was: an attack carried out by Russian agents on EU territory, using military-grade materials. We will not tolerate this. We are fully united with Germany," said Ursula von der Leyen, adding that "we will support any member state targeted by Russia."

She also announced continued support for Ukraine, including funding for air defense systems.

Rutte stressed the need for closer cooperation between the EU and NATO to respond to Russian threats.

German investigators have identified suspects in the attack case, including a Belarusian citizen, but challenges remain in catching those responsible. Russia has denied the accusations, calling them provocations.