Baltic Countries Request EU Drone Defense Funding Amid Security Concerns
Joint Appeal for EU Support in Drone Defense
Background of the Request
VILNIUS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have jointly asked the European Commission for additional financial support from the EU for drone fighting capabilities, Lithuania's Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said in a statement to Reuters on Wednesday.
Regional Security Concerns
With Ukraine stepping up long-range drone attacks on Russia, some of the drones have entered airspace in the Baltic region, stoking concerns that the war between Moscow and Kyiv is spilling over NATO's borders.
Details on Funding and Cooperation
Kaunas did not say how much money the countries had asked for.
Finnish daily Iltalehti reported that the three Baltic nations had asked for €500 million ($569.45 million).
Strategic Goals and Industry Impact
"We are looking into procuring the capabilities jointly, with preference for the European defence industry. This strengthens both our resilience and the industry cooperation in Europe", Kaunas said.
Additional Information
($1 = 0.8780 euros)
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas, writing by Louise Rasmussen, editing by Terje Solsvik)
