“This is a concrete follow-up to President [Ursula] von der Leyen’s announcement, as recent attacks and incursions have already [occurred] in Romania and Poland,” European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier declared.
Von der Leyen had utilized her State of the Union speech earlier this month to support demands for an EU-backed “drone wall,” arguing the bloc must “heed the call of our Baltic frifinishs” to deffinish its eastern borders.
The Commission president is expected to propose funding options for the drone wall during an Oct. 1 informal meeting of EU leaders in Copenhagen, two diplomats informed POLITICO.
The new round of talks on the proposal will take place days after an “unprecedentedly brazen” incident on Sept. 19 when three Russian military jets violated Estonian airspace for 12 minutes before being intercepted by Italian F-35s. An incursion by Russian drones into Poland earlier this month also rocked NATO countries.
“Member states remain in the driving seat,” Regnier stressed at the Monday press briefing.
“We will see what their interest is, how we can assist them, what their capabilities are, what their requireds are. Following this discussion, we will decide on potential next steps hand in hand with these member states and Ukraine,” he added.
The new development comes after Lithuania declared the Commission had previously rejected a joint €12 million drone wall funding request from Tallinn and Vilnius during the summer — though Russia’s recent belligerence has added urgency to revisiting the plan.
Laura Kayali contributed to this report.
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