NATO Defense Ministers Meeting/ Rutte: We are working with the EU on the European anti-drone shield

2025-10-15 12:26:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

NATO Defense Ministers Meeting/ Rutte: We are working with the EU on the

Pete Hegseth, Mark Rutte

NATO chief Mark Rutte said ahead of a meeting with defense ministers that the military alliance and the European Union are working together to create a "drone wall" to protect member countries from drone incursions.

Asked whether efforts are being doubled on this issue, Rutte said that the EU and NATO have different roles: NATO provides capabilities in terms of military, while the EU has the soft power of the internal market and ensures that funds are available.

The focus of the Brussels meeting of NATO defense ministers is also expected to be strengthening support for Ukraine. The meeting is also attended by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as US President Donald Trump is considering the possibility of supplying Kiev with long-range missiles.

The NATO meeting comes after Moscow challenged NATO with a series of airspace violations in Poland and Estonia, raising fears that the conflict in Ukraine could widen.

There have also been detections of drones near military buildings in other countries, prompting authorities to close airports.

All of these events have raised concerns that Russia is seeking to push NATO to react.

Defense ministers are also expected to focus on efforts to fill gaps on the alliance's eastern flank, after NATO was forced to use expensive missiles to shoot down Russian drones that entered Poland.

After the incidents, NATO launched a mission to strengthen its defenses, but some countries close to Russia have called for a more robust response.

The Western military alliance is also aiming to accelerate the development of counter-drone capabilities and incorporate the cheap technology that Ukraine uses into its defenses.

The EU will also hold a meeting of its defense ministers on Wednesday evening. The bloc has proposed creating a “drone wall” to counter the threats.

However, there is skepticism among European states, such as Germany, about this proposal and there is also fear that the European bloc could enter NATO's scope.

The drone initiative is one of the key projects the EU is focusing on as part of a broader effort to prepare the bloc for a potential conflict with Moscow in the coming years. The EU is expected to present a roadmap for its plan to ministers, which it hopes will be approved at a leaders' summit next week./REL