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Since then, Europe’s borders have been increasingly tested by
rogue drones. Russia has been blamed for some of the incidents,
but denies that anything was done on purpose or that it played a
role.
NATO jets scrambled on Sept. 10 to shoot down a number of
Russian drones that breached Polish airspace, in an expensive
response to a relatively cheap threat. Airports in Denmark were
temporarily closed this week after drones were flown nearby.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius is chairing Friday’s
talks. The meeting, via video-link, will include those countries
plus officials from Bulgaria, Denmark Romania and Slovakia,
along with representatives from Ukraine and NATO.
The aim is to establish what equipment those countries have to
counter drone intrusions, what more they might need to plug any
gaps along NATO’s eastern flank, and for Kubilius work out where
EU funds might be found to help the effort.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier
this month that Europe “must heed the call of our Baltic friends
and build a drone wall.”
“This is not an abstract ambition. It is the bedrock of credible
defense,” von der Leyen told EU lawmakers.
It should be, she said, “a European capability developed
together, deployed together, and sustained together, that can
respond in real time. One that leaves no ambiguity as to our
intentions. Europe will defend every inch of its territory.”
Von der Leyen said that 6 billion euros ($7 billion) would be
earmarked to set up a drone alliance with Ukraine, whose armed
forces are using the unmanned aerial vehicles to inflict around
two-thirds of all military equipment losses sustained by Russian
forces.
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