Europe must take responsibility for its own security - EP President

RIGA - Europe must take responsibility for its own security, stressed Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament (EP), who took part in the security and foreign policy forum, the Riga Conference, on Friday.

Metsola said in her speech that the Baltic geography speaks for itself, with incidents in the Baltic Sea on the rise, and neighboring countries becoming more aggressive to the east. She noted that the Suwalki corridor is one of the most critical points in the world. "Here in Latvia, you know what it means to live on the edge of freedom. You remember what can happen and what has happened," Metsola said.

She said that she acknowledged all Latvian MEPs that Europe should have listened to them earlier. Metsola pointed out that for years Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland have warned of the Russian threat - warned after the annexation of Crimea, warned of Kremlin-sponsored disinformation campaigns, warned of hybrid attacks on critical infrastructure, warned of what is happening in the Russian military exercises Zapad, both in 2017 and in 2021.

"The joint military exercises of Russia and Belarus a few weeks ago prove that Russia is still rattling its guns. And you warned us about Russia's troop build-up before its illegal invasion of Ukraine. You knew very well what we were dealing with and you know very well what is needed to counter it today," Metsola said.

Metsola assessed that Europe's "political center of gravity" has shifted eastwards. She reminded that only a month ago a Russian military drone was found in eastern Latvia, but since then drones have been spotted over Poland, Romania, Denmark, Germany, and Russian fighter jets have flown into Estonian airspace. "These are not isolated incidents - we are facing a new level of provocation - on land, at sea and now in the air," said the EP President.

She pointed out that her recent visit to Kyiv had made it clear that drones had indeed become a major weapon of war. "All this must finally serve as a rallying call for Europe. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past - Europe must take responsibility for its own security. We must strengthen our defense capabilities, deepen our interoperability and, above all, ensure that we are better prepared," said Metsola.

She pointed out that this understanding is starting to take hold, with defense spending in the European Union (EU) having increased by more than 30 percent since 2021 and NATO members committing earlier this year to increase their defense budgets to 5 percent of gross domestic product. This, she said, is something that would have seemed unthinkable a year ago.

At the same time, Metsola acknowledged that money alone will not make countries safer. "Not if we continue to work separately, not if we keep duplicating - not if we fail to plan, develop and procure together," Metsola said, noting that in Europe we still operate as 27 separate systems and use 178 different weapon systems. This compares with around 30 in the US, for example.

"This fragmentation means that we can produce all the munitions we can and we can reinforce each other with all the military equipment we can, but if our systems are not compatible or if our forces are not trained to use them properly, then there is a risk that all our efforts will be in vain. This is what holds us back and this is what increases costs," Metsola said.

She stressed that this is why MEPs, including from Latvia, continue to stress the need for better coordination, more coherence and the ability to act as a single system. "This is what needs to be built to ensure a true European security architecture," said Metsola, pointing out that it is one that brings together Europe's military, industrial, political and digital capabilities, allowing for faster, more influential and united action.

At the same time, she stressed that NATO is and always will be the backbone of Europe's collective territorial defense and that the partnership with the US is unique. At the same time, partnerships with like-minded partners - such as Canada and the United Kingdom - need to be deepened.

Metsola appreciated the indispensable role of Latvia and the Baltic states in the NATO alliance. She underlined that today, during her visit to the Adazi military base with Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity), she would express her full support for the Eastern Flank, including the efforts to strengthen security in the Baltic Sea.

In her speech, she underlined the EU's growing role in crisis management, cyber and hybrid resilience, strategic deterrence, and defense capacity building.

Metsola noted that the EP has adopted legislation with unprecedented speed that will help create economies of scale by harmonizing defense planning and procurement across Europe. "We are very close to reaching agreement with Member States on a European Defense Industrial Program. Its aim will be to simplify processes, remove barriers and support our defense industry's ability to deliver quickly, in partnership with the Ukrainian industrial base," explained Metsola.

She pointed out that the EP is now working to give Member States more flexibility in the use of EU funds to invest in dual-use projects, including drone technology. Metsola pointed out that during her visit to Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pointed out that Ukraine has both the know-how and the industrial capacity to produce more drones, but lacks the funding.

She stressed that Latvia is a leader in this field and understands well the impact such funding can have. "Such support strengthens not only Ukraine's defense, but also Europe's preparedness. This is why we are moving towards dual-use funding also in the discussions on the next EU multi-annual budget," said Metsola.

She stressed the importance of ensuring that the war in Ukraine is high on the agenda. "Each one of us has a role to play to fight war fatigue," said Metsola.

The EP President stressed that stopping Russian gas and energy purchases is at the heart of the Russian war machine. "We will do it, and we will do it sooner than expected. And we will turn to allies and partners," Metsola said.

She said that Member States should be proud of how far they have come to move away from Russian energy. At the same time, she pointed out that there was more to go. "Of course, phasing out these dependencies has to be linked to a plan. But the excuses that have held us back for so many years so far are far from insurmountable. The same applies to the frozen Russian assets," Metsola said.

Metsola stressed that all Member States' efforts are linked to the maintenance of a genuine peace. She stressed that the EU is essentially a peace project and peace requires effort.

"That is why yesterday, when, after 733 long nights, an agreement was finally reached on the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, we very much welcomed it," said Metsola, noting that this is a moment of peace and renewal in the Middle East that must be respected and carefully implemented.

Peace is never easy, the EP President said, it requires difficult, sometimes uncomfortable, but necessary decisions.

"Whether it is constructive engagement to ensure the validity of the Gaza Peace Agreement, whether it is support for Ukraine and adherence to the unwavering principle of "Nothing for Ukraine without Ukraine", whether it is promoting merit-based enlargement as a clear geopolitical strategic priority, whether it is support for democracy and countering Russian activities in our neighborhood," said Metsola.

She pointed out that the election results in Moldova were encouraging, but the story is not over yet.

Metsola stressed that Latvia has just sent a strong signal of commitment to the world by serving on the UN Security Council for the first time in history. "On behalf of the EP, I wish you every success and hope that together we will defend these common priorities," said the EP President.

As reported, the Riga Conference is taking place from Thursday to Saturday at the House of Sciences of the University of Latvia. The discussions will focus on the future of NATO and the division of responsibilities between Europe and the US, strengthening collective defense in the face of new threats, the long-term security of Ukraine and containing Russia, as well as strengthening European defense through strategic investment.