Baltic Leaders Meet Von Der Leyen, Urge EU Actions Not Words over Drone Incursions
- On Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Vilnius to meet Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian leaders, accusing Russia of deliberately triggering drone alerts to destabilise Baltic democracies.
- Drone alerts have become increasingly common in recent months as Ukraine escalates strikes against Russian targets in the Saint Petersburg region near Estonia and Finland, with at least six incursions recorded since early May.
- Von der Leyen announced the Baltic states will receive 12 billion euros through the SAFE programme, with an additional 1.5 billion euros from the Cohesion Fund for defence readiness and border surveillance.
- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda demanded concrete EU action beyond solidarity statements, while von der Leyen vowed stepped-up efforts starting with unified alert systems and improved cross-border coordination.
- Von der Leyen warned Moscow's destabilisation tactics could spread westward as Russia struggles militarily in Ukraine; analysts note incidents reflect psychological warfare involving allegedly redirected Ukrainian drones meant to undermine European support for Kyiv.
19 Articles
19 Articles
The President of the European Commission met with the Presidents of the three Baltic States in Vilnius. Meanwhile, the EU was convening the Russian Affairs Officer in BrusselsThese days, drone incursions into the airspace of the Baltic countries are increasing. Two Ukrainian drones, hijacked by Russia, have even indirectly succeeded in bringing down the Latvian government. It is in this tense context that the President of the European Commission…
Drone incidents in the Baltic States are not accidental. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a speech in Vilnius that drone incidents in the Baltic States are part of Russia's targeted strategy to destabilize democratic societies. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to the LRT publication. Read also: The European Union criticizes von der Leyen's excessive power, - Bloomberg Russia uses drones to put pressur…
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a visit to Lithuania on Tuesday that drone incidents in the Baltic states are part of a targeted Russian strategy aimed at destabilizing societies.
Von der Leyen admits that the latest incidents have exposed "vulnerabilities" in European security and promises to accelerate the East Side Watch initiative. Learn more: A 20 million missile for four dead civilians: the cruelest and most desperate Putin throws over Kiev the most expensive Oreshnik
Although a drone wall was announced in September 2025 to defend itself against the threat of hybrid attacks from Russia, recent incidents in the Baltic republics show the "preparation gaps" in defence of the EU
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