Bulgaria and Six Other EU Nations to Discuss Proposal for European Drone Defense Wall

BRUSSELS – Representatives from Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania will engage in discussions with the European Commission regarding a proposal to establish a European “wall against drones,” confirmed a spokesperson for the institution during a press conference. He specified that the dialogue will be political, held online on Friday, and representatives from Ukraine will also participate.

This meeting follows the recent visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius to the eastern EU member states, which highlighted the urgent need for a unified European drone defense system, particularly after recent airspace violations by Russia in Poland and Romania.

The European Commission will consider the countries’ interests and evaluate how it could provide assistance. Subsequent steps will be determined following this discussion, added the spokesperson. He mentioned that Commissioner Kubilius will represent the EC at the meeting, and the involvement of ministers in the talks is also a possibility.

Bulgaria is making significant contributions to the defense and security of both Ukraine and Europe, acknowledged Ursula von der Leyen, during her visit to Bulgaria earlier this month as part of her tour of the eastern EU countries. She highlighted Bulgaria’s contributions as a source of national and European pride. With the enhancement of Ukraine’s defense capabilities, there is a need for increased responsibility in our own defense. To bolster our readiness and defense posture, it is essential to actively pursue initiatives at the European Council level, particularly concerning financial support, Ursula von der Leyen emphasized at that time.

In October, discussions will take place in the European Council regarding the gaps in our defense capabilities, strategies to address them, and the objectives we need to achieve by 2030 to rectify deficiencies in our defense posture, the President of the EC further stated. (September 22)