Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 16, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
The EU plans key defence projects to counter drones and secure its eastern border, driven by concerns over Russia's threat.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Commission on Thursday proposed four European flagship defence projects - including a counter-drone system and a plan to fortify the eastern border - as part of a drive to get the continent ready to defend itself by 2030.
The proposals, in a defence policy "roadmap", reflect fears fuelled by the war in Ukraine that Russia may attack an EU member in the coming years, and calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for Europe to do more for its own security.
"Danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends. It is clear we need to toughen our defences against Russia," European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told a news conference.
The Commission said two "flagships" were particularly urgent - the European Drone Defence Initiative, previously known as a "drone wall", and Eastern Flank Watch, which aims to "fortify the EU’s Eastern borders "across land, air and sea".
The Commission, the European Union's executive body, said both projects should have initial capacity by the end of next year. The drone project should be fully functional a year later and "flank watch" should reach that status at the end of 2028.
It also proposed a European Air Shield, to defend against missiles and other airborne threats, and a European Space Shield, to protect European space assets and services.
Leaders of the EU's 27 member governments will decide whether to endorse the flagship proposals and to agree on who runs projects that get the green light.
(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Lili Bayer; Editing by GV De Clercq)
The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, and upholding the EU treaties.
A counter-drone system is a technology designed to detect, track, and neutralize unauthorized drones to protect airspace and critical infrastructure.
The Eastern Flank Watch is a proposed initiative aimed at strengthening the security of the EU's eastern borders against potential aggressions.
The European Air Shield is designed to protect against airborne threats, including missiles and drones, enhancing the overall security of EU member states.
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