EU and NATO leaders say Russian intimidation will not deter Ukraine aid

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the attempted sabotage of Leipzig-Halle airport, a key logistics hub for military aid to Kyiv, would not weaken the bloc’s resolve to support Ukraine. She described the incident as an attack using military-grade material on EU soil and said intimidation “will not work.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte echoed the sentiment, stating that Russia’s actions would not divide the alliance or deter assistance to Ukraine. He called the series of recent Russian activities, including drone and missile incursions into NATO airspace and alleged sabotage of defense-related factories, “reckless” and warned that the dangers posed by Moscow are clear.

German authorities have attributed the August 4 attempt, in which three explosive-laden drones were detected near the airport, to Russian operatives. One drone was found close to a Ukrainian Antonov aircraft used for transporting munitions.

The joint statement came as Russia’s foreign minister warned of harsher measures to undermine Western support for Kyiv. Von der Leyen announced that the EU would deploy rapid-response teams to assist any member state affected by similar incidents and is prepared to consider additional sanctions. EU foreign ministers are set to discuss further measures against Moscow at a meeting in Ireland.

The EU is also reviewing Ukraine’s request for several billion euros to fund air-defence purchases, including U.S. PAC-3 Patriot interceptors, with Commission experts scheduled to examine the proposal on September 7.