The deputy head of the EU’s Frontex border control agency warned there is a “high” risk of arms being smuggled from Ukraine to the EU in the event of a deal ending the war with Russia.
“There could be weapons smuggling on a larger scale. That could become a security problem for Europe,” Frontex Deputy Executive Director Lars Gerdes told WELT, owned by Axel Springer, which also owns POLITICO.
He said that once the full-scale war that Russia launched four years ago ends, it would be “quite possible” for a repeat of the situation in former Yugoslavia, when illegal arms flooded into the rest of Europe after the fighting there ended.
Gerdes said that Frontex has reinforced its presence along Ukraine’s western borders and is closely monitoring the situation.
“We have been preparing for this since the beginning of the war,” the German official said. “I consider the risk particularly high after a ceasefire or peace agreement. At that point, there will be large quantities of weapons, ammunition and explosives in the country — and many people who need money. Weapons smuggling on a larger scale could emerge.”
Philipp Woldin is a political reporter for WELT. Alexander Dinger is WELT’s investigations editor.
