Mitsotakis: Europe must protect southern borders and lead in defense technology

[Prime Minister’s Office via InTime News]

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has underlined the request for Europe to safeguard not lone its eastbound but besides its southern borders, during remarks astatine a summit of EU leaders successful Copenhagen, according to sources.

Mitsotakis reportedly underlined that the European Union indispensable “take Ukraine’s message” astir the captious relation of caller technologies successful defense, stressing that Europe should beryllium astatine the forefront of technological innovation while besides processing its ain accumulation capacity.

The premier curate highlighted that Greece is already moving successful this direction, citing the constitution of the Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation (ELKAK) arsenic portion of nationalist efforts to strengthen technological capabilities successful defense.

The summit of EU leaders successful Copenhagen was convened by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who warned Europe is successful the mediate of a hybrid war waged by Russia and the continent indispensable limb itself.

“I anticipation that everybody recognizes present that there is simply a hybrid war and 1 time it’s Poland, the different time it’s Denmark, and adjacent week it will astir apt beryllium somewhere other that we spot sabotage oregon we spot drones flying,” Frederiksen told reporters.

Wednesday’s summit comes aft a spate of troubling drone incidents astatine Danish airports and subject bases implicit the past week. Ahead of the meeting, a special radar system was acceptable up astatine Copenhagen airdrome to assistance support watch. Unidentified drones forced the closure of the airfield a week ago, causing large disruptions.

France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK besides sent aircraft, ships and aerial defence systems to Denmark up of the talks. Ukraine’s equipped forces person dispatched a ngo to the Nordic state for associated exercises, sharing its expertise connected combating Russian drones.

While the Danish authorities person not identified those believed to beryllium responsible, Frederiksen said, “There is lone 1 state that are willing to endanger us and it is Russia and so we request a very strong reply back.”

“I want us to rearm. I want us to bargain much capabilities. I want us to innovate more, for illustration connected drones,” she said. “When I look astatine Europe today, I think we are successful the astir hard and unsafe situation since the extremity of the Second World War.”

Russia is the absorption of Wednesday’s summit, where discussions are expected to halfway connected however to hole Europe to fend disconnected Russian aggression by 2030, particularly arsenic the United States turns its absorption connected information concerns successful Asia and elsewhere.

Ukraine is besides precocious connected the agenda, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is owed to code the EU leaders by videolink.

Leaders and quality services judge that Russia could equine an battle elsewhere successful Europe successful 3 to 5 years, and that President Vladimir Putin is intent connected testing NATO arsenic doubts swirl astir US President Donald Trump’s committedness to the organization.

On September 10, when respective Russian drones breached Poland’s airspace, NATO craft were scrambled to intercept and sprout down some of the devices. It was the archetypal nonstop brushwood betwixt NATO and Moscow since Russia launched its war connected Ukraine connected February 24, 2022.

The incidental jolted leaders crossed Europe, raising questions astir however prepared the confederation is against Russia. Days later, NATO jets escorted three Russian warplanes retired of Estonia’s airspace.

The EU talks connected Ukraine will absorption connected continued subject and fiscal support for the conflict-ravaged country, arsenic funds, weapons and ammunition erstwhile provided by the United States adust up.

A caller connection to use frozen Russian assets to assistance Ukraine will beryllium discussed, arsenic well arsenic its prospects of joining the EU. Trump has ruled retired NATO rank for the country, the champion information warrant available.

On Wednesday evening, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and different leaders from crossed Europe will articulation their EU partners for an informal meal of the European Political Community (EPC). Around 40 heads of state oregon authorities are owed to take part.

They will stitchery formally connected Thursday for talks focused connected security, trafficking and migration. Critics accidental the EPC forum – which draws together EU members, aspiring partners successful the Balkans and Eastern Europe, arsenic well arsenic Britain and Turkey – is simply a governmental “talking shop” that produces fewer tangible results. [Kathimerini, AP]