Czech Security Expert Says EU Should Have Built Anti-Russia Mechanism After 2014

A Czech security expert has said the European Union should have created a dedicated mechanism to counter hybrid threats from Russia as far back as 2014, when Moscow annexed Crimea, according to a report by Ukrinform, Ukraine's state news agency.

The expert argued that, at the latest, such a mechanism should have been established after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrinform reported.

According to the report, the assessment reflects a view that the EU's response to Russian hybrid threats has lagged behind the timeline of Moscow's actions, beginning with the annexation of Crimea and continuing through the broader war against Ukraine.

Ukrinform's report did not provide further details on the specific form such a mechanism might take or additional context from the expert regarding current EU policy toward Russia.

Ukrinform is Ukraine's national news agency. Details on the expert's identity and further elaboration on the proposed mechanism were not included in the available excerpt of the report.