**Russia’s Threat to Europe Much Wider Than We Imagine, Italian PM Warns**
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has warned that Russia’s threat to Europe extends beyond defense to illegal immigration and cybersecurity. She made the comments on December 22 during an international meeting in Finland.
Meloni said that Russia is also using tactics like “instrumentalizing migration” to influence public opinion in Europe. This means that Russia is allowing thousands of asylum seekers to cross into Europe, with a pledge of safe entry into the EU.
**Russia and Belarus Orchestrating Migrant Influx**
Since 2021, Russia and Belarus have been orchestrating an influx of migrants at the European Union’s eastern borders. Thousands of asylum seekers were escorted by Belarusian troops to the Polish border in November 2021, with most being violently pushed back by Polish border guards.
**EU Must View Migration as a Distributive Problem**
Italy’s right-wing prime minister urged the EU to view migration as a distributive problem as well as a security one. This means that the EU should share the burden of migration among its member states.
**Russian Threat Wider Than We Imagine**
Meloni cautioned against complacency in the EU, saying that even after Russia’s war in Ukraine ends, its security challenge will not go away. She warned that the threat is much wider than we imagine and includes critical infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, raw materials, supply chains, and migration.
**Ukraine Update**
In other news, a large-scale fire broke out at a Shahed drone warehouse in Russia’s Tatarstan, destroying drone parts worth $16 million. Ukraine’s military intelligence reported that Russian forces suffered 1,990 casualties just over the past day.
North Korea is preparing to deploy additional troops and weapons, including kamikaze drones, to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine. The South Korean military made this announcement on December 23.
**Global Response**
BMW discovered irregularities that allowed cars to be transferred to Russia from its branch in Hanover. Trump’s picks for a new advisory group include Elbridge Colby, who opposes Ukraine’s NATO membership but supports tougher sanctions on Moscow.
Over a thousand applications have been submitted to the Ukrainian Legion in Poland, according to Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar.
The International Monetary Fund updated projections for Ukraine, outlining two scenarios regarding Russia’s ongoing war.