Freedom on the Offensive : Renew Europe calls for urgent action

Ahead of the EU informal summit, Renew Europe calls for urgent action to build a genuine European Defence Union.

Renew Europe sends a strong message of solidarity with Estonia and all frontline states of the European Union, in light of escalating Russian aggression.

Convened in Tallinn, Renew Europe today adopted its Estonia Declaration – Freedom on the Offensive, delivering a concrete action plan to set up a credible European deterrence.

Renew Europe President Valérie Hayer:

"Day by day, we witness Russian intolerable escalating provocations: drone attacks, airspace incursions, hybrid operations against EU infrastructure - affecting our EU territory, in Estonia, in Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Denmark and other Member States. These are deliberate tests of our resolve we cannot accept. Accordingly, our job is more than ever to push for credible European defence and resilience."

The Estonia Declaration commits Renew Europe to campaign for:

• A European Sky Shield to protect EU citizens and Ukrainians.

• European Intelligence and cyber resilience. Today’s threats transcend soldiers and tanks. Renew Europe calls for the establishment of a European intelligence platform for foreign intelligence collection as well as to, inter alia, detect, analyse and counter foreign interference and hybrid attacks. Renew Europe reiterates once more the need for the establishment of an EU cyber defence coordination centre to monitor, detect and respond to cyber threats in real time.

• Democracy protection, through education against disinformation programme, EU wide.

• Enhanced investment for military mobility, with increased EU funding for dual-use infrastructure.

• A European Defence Union and a strong European pillar within NATO.

“Disinformation campaigns, cyber operations and hybrid threats from the Kremlin aim to destabilise our societies and erode trust in institutions. The Estonian and Finnish education model proves that resilience starts in schools".

Well informed citizens, independent media and NGO's are the strongest safeguard of democracy, this is why Renew Europe calls on the European Commission to set up a fund to support independent media and NGO's in candidate countries.

Renew Europe President , Valérie Hayer:

"Freedom must go on the offensive. Together with Estonia and the Baltic region, we will protect our borders, our democracy and our future:

Our defence capacity also depends on our capacity to move forces rapidly across Europe. In the MFF negotiations , we will support increased upgrading critical infrastructure to guarantee credible deterrence on EU territory."