BRUSSELS, 30 November 2021, (TON): European Union and Nato leaders vowed to counter “hybrid threats” during visits to Lithuania and Latvia dominated by the Belarus migrant crisis and Russia’s military build-up near Ukraine.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also repeated his call on Russia to de-escalate its military build-up on the border with Ukraine and warned of consequences if it used force.

The visit by Stoltenberg and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen came ahead of a meeting of Nato foreign ministers, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Latvia this week.

Stoltenberg and von der Leyen both accused Belarus of orchestrating the migrant crisis on its border as a “hybrid” threat against the European Union, a charge that the regime has denied. A hybrid threat is a security challenge combining traditional military means and non-military tactics such as disinformation.

Von der Leyen said at a joint news conference with Stoltenberg and Lithuanian leaders in Vilnius “to respond to such events, it is important that the European Union and Nato work hand in hand.”

Stoltenberg said “we discussed how we could step up our joint work between Nato and the EU”.

Von der Leyen said the EU had decided to triple to $226 million its funding for border management in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland for 2021 and 2022.

She said the money would go on patrol vehicles and electronic surveillance, including drones.