Written by Anne Kuranen
SARISELKA, Finland (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday that Russia poses a bigger threat to European Union security than just defence, as Moscow can use illegal migration and other issues to undermine the bloc.
Finland hosted the leaders of Italy, Sweden and Greece, as well as the European Union's foreign affairs chief, in northern Lapland over the weekend to discuss security in the Nordic and Mediterranean region, as well as migration challenges in southern Europe.
“We have to understand that the threat is much broader than we imagine,” Meloni, who leads a conservative government, said at a news conference when asked about Russia.
She added that the threat to the security of the European Union from Russia or from anywhere else will not stop once the conflict in Ukraine ends, and the European Union must be prepared for that.
“It's about our democracy, influencing our public opinion, what's happening in Africa, raw materials, exploitation of migration,” Meloni said. “We need to know that this is a very broad idea of security.”
She urged the European Union to do more to protect its borders and not allow Russia or any “criminal organization” to direct flows of illegal migrants.
Some EU member states, including Finland and Estonia, have accused Russia of allowing illegal migrants from the Middle East and elsewhere to enter EU countries via Russia without proper controls, undermining EU security.
Moscow denied that Russia was deliberately pushing illegal immigrants into the European Union.
Finnish Prime Minister Petri Orbo said that securing his country's 1,340-kilometre (833-mile) border with Russia was an “existential” issue for Finland, other members of the European Union and NATO allies.
Meloni said the European Union had been wrong in dealing with the migration issue over the years in terms of simply how to share the burden.
“Treating the issue of illegal immigration as merely a discussion based on solidarity was a mistake,” she said. He added, “The result is that we were unable to protect our borders… We want to defend our external borders and will not allow Russia or criminal organizations to undermine our security.”
Meloni said that while NATO remains the “cornerstone” of EU security, the bloc must confront broader challenges.
She added: “Security also means critical infrastructure, it means artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, raw materials, supply chains. It means a new and more effective foreign and cooperative policy, and it means immigration.”
