The European Union will not be intimidated by Moscow’s escalating campaign of sabotage, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said after a meeting of defense ministers in Ireland.

Kallas said Russia was targeting Europe with increasingly violent hybrid attacks in an effort to deter support for Ukraine, but that the campaign would not succeed.

Germany on Tuesday attributed an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month to Russia. European officials, however, do not expect an imminent military attack and instead anticipate further actions that stop short of open conflict.

At the same time, EU countries failed to make new commitments to provide Kyiv with urgently needed US-built air defense missiles. Kallas said she had received no new pledges from countries such as Greece and Spain, which are believed to have stockpiles. Russia has taken advantage of Ukraine’s low supplies to intensify its attacks, with an overnight barrage of drones and ballistic missiles reportedly killing at least 12 people in Kyiv and the surrounding region.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kuanas called on the EU and NATO to demonstrate strength and use all available tools.

Brussels is considering adding another 1,600 individuals and companies to its sanctions list. Discussions have also resumed over whether to use some €200bn ($235bn) in frozen Russian central bank assets to fund Ukraine. Belgium blocked an earlier proposal, prompting the EU to provide Kyiv with a €90bn loan from its own funds. However, there are concerns that the money may not last for the planned two-year period.

(alarabiya, bak)