BRUSSELS: The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas declared that building anti-drone defences against Russia is no longer optional for the bloc.
Kallas made this statement as Brussels unveiled a comprehensive “readiness roadmap” designed to prepare the EU for potential conflict by 2030.
This anti-drone initiative represents one of several flagship projects within the EU’s broader defence strategy against possible Russian aggression.
“Drones are already redefining warfare,“ Kallas told journalists during the announcement.
“Having drone defences is no longer optional for anyone,“ she emphasised.
The EU chief revealed plans for a new anti-drone system intended to become fully operational by the end of 2027.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen initially proposed creating a “drone wall” to counter Moscow last month.
That proposal followed an incident where NATO jets shot down Russian unmanned aircraft in Polish airspace.
While initially focused on bolstering eastern border states, the plan has expanded after mysterious drones alarmed several western European nations.
The project, now renamed the “European Drone Defence Initiative,“ aims to achieve initial operational capability by the end of 2026.
Brussels hopes to secure backing from EU leaders for this defence initiative during next week’s summit.
“Russia has no capacity to launch an attack on the European Union today, but it could prepare itself in the years to come,“ Kallas warned.
“Danger will not disappear, even if the war in Ukraine will end,“ she added.
Alongside the drone initiative, the EU is developing a broader “Eastern Flank Watch” programme.
This complementary programme will strengthen air and ground defences along the EU’s border closest to Russia by the end of 2028.
The EU plans to incorporate Ukraine’s war-tested expertise to develop cost-effective capabilities for countering drones.
Some member states like Germany have expressed scepticism about the project’s potential overlap with NATO’s responsibilities.
The EU has not yet provided concrete cost estimates for these flagship defence projects.
No announcement has been made regarding potential new financing mechanisms for these initiatives.
Lithuania’s defence minister Dovile Sakaliene emphasised the need for rapid, grant-based financial instruments.
“It’s our joint responsibility to protect the Eastern flank border — all of us,“ Sakaliene told AFP.
She expressed concern that the 2027 target for the anti-drone system might be insufficiently ambitious.
Sakaliene noted that Moscow is “clearly intensifying its hybrid war” against European nations.
“I’d like to have it sooner, because what we see is a rapidly rising concentration of incidents,“ she stated. – AFP
