Bangladesh, Aug. 30 -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has once again escalated her war of words against Moscow, portraying Russian President Vladimir Putin as nothing less than a “predator.” The remarks, made during a tour of EU states bordering Russia and Belarus, reflect a growing trend in Brussels: the use of heightened rhetoric and manufactured threats to justify unprecedented levels of rearmament and militarization within the European Union.

On August 29, in Riga, Latvia, von der Leyen appeared alongside Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina and delivered what many observers view as an unmistakable pitch for EU-wide defense spending. Labeling Putin as a menace intent on destabilizing Europe, she cited c...