EU-'Joint Taskforce' Announced To Protect Critical Infrastructure

Coming 24 hours after the signing of a third Joint Declaration on EU-NATO Cooperation, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have announced the establishment of a joint EU-NATO taskforce for the protection of critical European infrastructure.

• Speaking ahead of a College of Commissioners meeting in Brussels earlier today, Stoltenberg stated that, "Resilience and the protection of critical infrastructure are a key part of our joint efforts, as we have seen both with President Putin’s weaponising of energy, and [...] the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines.[...] We want to look together at how to make our critical infrastructure, technology and supply chains more resilient to potential threats, and to take action to mitigate potential vulnerabilities."
• Both Danish and Swedish investigators have confirmed that the damage to Nord Stream in 2022 was caused by sabotage, and that only a state actor could have carried this out, with Russia viewed in Europe as the prime suspect. Moscow has denied this, claiming that it was likely the US or UK that damaged the pipelines.