Andrius Kubilius
European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius stated that Ukrainian troops could be deployed to defend the EU's eastern borders from Russia after the end of hostilities. He noted that the Ukrainian army has the most experienced military personnel in Europe.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated in Vilnius that Europe is not ready to detect and destroy Russian drones with economically effective means. He emphasized the need to include Ukraine in the common defense.
The European Commission has proposed to the Member States to start negotiations with Ukraine on its participation in the GOVSATCOM component of the EU Space Programme and the Union's Secure Connectivity Programme. This will strengthen the resilience of the EU's communication infrastructure and is the next step in advancing Ukraine's participation in the EU Space Programme.
Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius proposes that EU countries use funds from the €150 billion investment plan to support Ukraine. Some countries have already expressed their readiness to apply loans from the 'Security Actions for Europe' program for Kyiv.
Polish civilians are actively undergoing survival courses and military training, preparing for a possible conflict with Russia. The government is expanding military training for adults and increasing the defense budget.
The European Commission is discussing the use of frozen Russian assets to create a reparations loan for Ukraine. This will be a continuation of the EU's macro-financial assistance, which was discussed at a meeting between Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal and European commissioners.
The European Commission intends to expand the "drone wall" initiative – a defense project initially aimed at protecting the EU's eastern border – to cover the whole of Europe.
EU Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated that German intelligence possesses evidence that the Russian leadership is discussing the possibility of attacking NATO countries. He emphasized that Russia is capable of producing weapons on a large scale and has adapted to technological changes in warfare.
The European Commission has proposed four key defense projects, including a drone wall to block Russian air aggression. These proposals will be discussed at an informal meeting of EU leaders in Copenhagen.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated that European countries had enough time to find alternative sources of energy supply. He also mentioned the "Russian shadow fleet" that creates many problems in the Baltic Sea.
The meeting on the proposed EU 'drone wall' was a 'productive initial exchange'. The next steps involve discussions with other EU member states in a broader format.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius admitted the EU's limited capabilities in detecting drones, especially those flying low. He emphasized the need to implement a "drone wall" project with radars and sensors.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Russia is starting a new stage of escalation and hybrid warfare against the transatlantic community. He noted that the integration of the Ukrainian air defense system into a single European system should become a decisive step to strengthen security.
President Zelenskyy proposed to Poland and its partners to create a joint shield against Russian air threats, citing Ukraine's experience. He also noted that Russia could have used tankers in the Baltic Sea to launch drones.
European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius emphasized the need for the EU to develop additional capabilities to combat drones. He noted that this requires drawing on Ukraine's experience, as well as focusing on drone detection and the use of traditional artillery.
Ukraine has expressed its readiness to participate in the "Drone Wall" project, initiated by the European Commission, and to play an active role in protecting Europe from the Russian drone threat. Kyiv expects to sign a joint declaration with partners in October and is ready to share its experience in the field of unmanned technologies.
The President of the European Commission and EU heads of state will discuss drone incursions at an informal meeting of the European Council in Copenhagen next week. This issue will also be considered at the first meeting on the 'drone wall' on Friday, with the participation of representatives from seven border EU member states, Denmark, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
Slovakia will join the EU-initiated meeting on the "drone wall" on September 26, chaired by European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius. The European Commission expects concrete results and firm commitments from member states regarding this initiative.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated that the EU could significantly improve drone detection within a year, but creating a full-fledged network for tracking and destroying targets would take much longer. He noted that Europe needs to follow the example of the Ukrainian military, which has deployed acoustic sensors to detect unmanned aerial vehicles.
The EU has started discussing the creation of a "drone wall" that would protect against further Russian attacks.
EU defense ministers will discuss next week the creation of a "drone wall" along the eastern border after Russian drones invaded Poland. The project involves combining sensors, weapons, and electronic warfare systems to detect and neutralize drones.
After 2022, European defense enterprises tripled the pace of building new production facilities, deploying over 7 million square meters of capacity. This is the largest rearmament surge in the region in decades.
18 EU member states have expressed interest in receiving loans worth 127 billion euros under the SAFE defense instrument. The SAFE program will allow mobilizing up to 150 billion euros in investments, Ukraine expects investments in its defense.
Ukraine's leading allies in Europe plan to approach the EU for tens of billions of euros in loans for joint procurement of weapons for Ukraine and to strengthen their own defense. The SAFE program envisages loans for weapons, financed by EU debt with a 45-year repayment period.
Nine countries have officially expressed interest in borrowing funds from the EU military procurement program SAFE by the deadline. Poland plans to request 25 billion euros, and Greece – at least 1.2 billion euros.
Norway, Ukraine, and Great Britain may join the EU's secure satellite network IRIS², which is an alternative to Elon Musk's Starlink. Norway is already in negotiations, while Ukraine and Great Britain have not yet started them, despite concerns about Starlink's market dominance.
Lithuanian border guards shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle that flew into the country's airspace from the territory of Belarus. The drone was detected 4 km from the border after it was intercepted using special equipment.
EU Commissioner Andrius Kubilius calls on Lithuania and the Baltic states to create a drone shield and establish mass production of drones after a Russian "Gerbera" drone flew into Lithuanian territory. He emphasizes the need to train specialists for rapid drone production.
The European Union and member states have allocated €140 billion in aid to Ukraine, of which €50 billion is military. European Commissioner Kubilius called for integration instead of a logic of aid.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that the EU White Paper opens up new opportunities for Ukraine's integration into European security policy. This became known after a meeting with European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.