Strengthening Europe’s Capacity to Combat Drones on Agenda as EU, NATO Defense Ministers Meet

Denmark’s defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen called for a major boost to Europe’s anti-drone, air, and missile defense capabilities as he attended joint EU and NATO defense ministerial meetings in Brussels on Tuesday.

Poulsen said the growing number of drone incidents across Europe highlights the urgency of addressing hybrid threats, emphasizing that Denmark is ready to contribute to new EU initiatives aimed at detecting, targeting, and neutralizing hostile drones.

“The drone incidents around Europe in recent weeks clearly show that Europe needs to be even more prepared to deal with hybrid threats,” Poulsen said. “Denmark offers to be part of the upcoming work to strengthen Europe’s capacity to counter drone threats, so that we can ensure that Europe’s anti-drone capacity is strengthened in the coming years.”

The new EU initiative will draw lessons from Ukraine’s battlefield experience and aims to enhance the bloc’s ability to respond to emerging aerial threats. The plan aligns with the EU’s White Paper on European Defence Preparedness, which targets achieving full European defense self-reliance by 2030. The European Commission is expected to soon present a roadmap for meeting that goal.

Poulsen also underscored the need for deeper defense cooperation among EU nations. “We must cooperate more with other EU countries on the development, procurement and production of defense equipment,” he said. “It is crucial that we ensure the best possible framework for rapid European rearmament.”

Before the EU meetings, Poulsen attended a NATO Defense Ministers’ session focusing on air and missile defense. He cited recent Russian airspace violations and drone activity near Denmark as evidence of the growing threat environment.

“Europe and Denmark are in a serious security situation,” he said. “Russia has violated NATO countries’ airspace several times, and the drone incidents in Denmark in recent weeks show the need for us to strengthen the alliance’s ability to combat drones, including based on the experience from Ukraine.”

Both the EU and NATO sessions are expected to lay groundwork for coordinated action on defense production, capability development, and airspace security across the continent.