European leaders gather in Dublin under the shadow of hybrid threats

Police in Dublin have locked down central areas, deploying armed tactical units and drone defence systems ahead of Thursday's European Political Community Summit. The meeting comes as widespread disruptions sweep Europe, including coordinated cyber attacks that remotely hijacked supermarket refrigeration systems, alongside bomb scares targeting schools, flights and media organisations. Bomb hoaxes, hybrid activity, cyber, these are all things, of course, that we anticipated before the EPC. The EPC, of course, for certain actors, is a target. While attribution remains complex, with Western officials pointing to state-backed actors ranging from Iran to Russia, government stressed that the campaign is engineered to paralyse essential services and undermine public trust. In recent days, pro-Russian hacker groups have leaked the personal data of institutional figures on the dark web and have even placed a bounty on information regarding our private lives. The reason for this is our stance on Ukraine, our decision to stand in defense of the freedom of a sovereign state that is the victim of a war of aggression and our support for democracy. As leaders arrived to address the growing security crisis, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Ireland for its steadfast support against ongoing attacks. First and foremost, I want to thank Ireland for its unwavering support for our people, for Ukraine. For our defense, Ireland has always shown a full understanding of what's happening in Ukraine and most importantly of just how unjust Russia's aggression is against all of us, against Ukraine and against normal, peaceful life, peaceful life in Europe. A shared challenge that will top the agenda when formal talks begin on Thursday.