Russia poses a bigger threat to European Union security than just defence as Moscow can use illegal immigration and other issues to undermine the bloc, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday.
Finland hosted the leaders of Italy, Sweden and Greece, as well as the EU foreign affairs chief, in its northern Lapland region at the weekend to discuss security in the Nordic region and the Mediterranean, as well as migration challenges in southern Europe.
"We have to understand the threat is much wider than we imagine," Meloni, who leads a conservative government, told a press conference when asked about Russia.
The danger to EU security from Russia or from elsewhere would not stop once the Ukraine conflict ended and the EU must be prepared for that, she said.
"It's about our democracy, it's about influencing our public opinion, it's about what happens in Africa, it's about raw materials, it's about the instrumentalisation of migration. We need to know it's a very wide idea of security," Meloni said.
She urged the EU to do more to protect its borders and not let Russia or any "criminal organisation" steer the flows of illegal migrants.
Some EU members including Finland and Estonia have accused Russia of allowing illegal migrants from the Middle East and elsewhere to enter EU states via Russia without proper checks, undermining the EU's security.
Moscow has denied Russia was deliberately pushing illegal migrants into the EU.
While NATO remained "the cornerstone" of EU security, the bloc had to tackle wider challenges, Meloni said.
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Rome’s iconic Trevi Fountain is back to its full glory after months of restoration. The historic landmark, one of the city’s top tourist attractions, reopened following cleaning and repair work that began in October.
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Prince Harry’s prolonged legal battle against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group took an unexpected turn on Wednesday when the Duke of Sussex settled his case over allegations of unlawful information gathering just before the trial was set to begin.
During the Biden-Blinken administration, the United States demonstrated a prejudiced attitude toward Azerbaijan.
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Iran’s Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence for Yasin Huseinzadeh, convicted of carrying out a deadly terrorist attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran in January 2023. The sentence will be executed after a meeting between Huseinzadeh and his parents.
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The International Circus Festival in Monaco shows incredible performances from talented circus artists around the world.
A hotel fire at Türkiye's Kartalkaya Ski Resort claimed 76 lives and injured 51. The blaze started early Tuesday, prompting a large-scale emergency response.
Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev met with EBRD president Odile Renaud-Basso in Davos to discuss cooperation on infrastructure, financial sector support, and renewable energy projects. A loan agreement for Ganja’s water system was signed, strengthening ties between Azerbaijan and the EBRD.
Prince Harry’s prolonged legal battle against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group took an unexpected turn on Wednesday when the Duke of Sussex settled his case over allegations of unlawful information gathering just before the trial was set to begin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged European nations to deploy a peacekeeping force of at least 200,000 personnel to prevent further Russian aggression after any potential ceasefire, speaking during an interview in Davos on January 21, 2025.
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Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev met with EBRD president Odile Renaud-Basso in Davos to discuss cooperation on infrastructure, financial sector support, and renewable energy projects. A loan agreement for Ganja’s water system was signed, strengthening ties between Azerbaijan and the EBRD.
Prince Harry’s prolonged legal battle against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group took an unexpected turn on Wednesday when the Duke of Sussex settled his case over allegations of unlawful information gathering just before the trial was set to begin.
During the Biden-Blinken administration, the United States demonstrated a prejudiced attitude toward Azerbaijan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged European nations to deploy a peacekeeping force of at least 200,000 personnel to prevent further Russian aggression after any potential ceasefire, speaking during an interview in Davos on January 21, 2025.
Iran’s Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence for Yasin Huseinzadeh, convicted of carrying out a deadly terrorist attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran in January 2023. The sentence will be executed after a meeting between Huseinzadeh and his parents.
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