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Brussels – Faced with the increase in “hybrid” attacks, former Finnish president Sauli Niinistö calls for the establishment of an intelligence cooperation service within the European Union, in a report submitted to the Commission on Wednesday.
In this document dedicated to strengthening European defense, Sauli Niinistö emphasizes the “significant increase (…) in malicious activities on EU territory”, with “hybrid activities” becoming increasingly “aggressive”, particularly from Russia.
To address this, he calls for “gradually strengthening the EU’s intelligence structures” until the establishment of a “fully-fledged service” for cooperation in this area. Among member states, “we must trust each other,” he stressed to the press in Brussels.
As a first step, his report suggests strengthening the current European intelligence analysis structure, the SIAC, with more personnel and additional expertise. (October 30, 2024)
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