'Drone wall' initiative now covers all of Europe — Kaja Kallas

The Drone Defense Initiative, initially designed to protect only countries in the eastern EU, has been expanded to cover the entire continent, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in an interview with Greece’s Kathimerini newspaper.

"When we discussed with the defense ministers and we put together the defense roadmap, then we also identified four flagship projects," Kallas pointed out. "It’s not limited, and that’s why, for example, the Drone Defense Initiative that was first supposed to be only for the Eastern flank is actually for all Europe, because we see drones being a problem in every region. I mean, the drones can take off from ships, for example, and disturb airplanes or airports, for example," she clarified.

At a conference of Mediterranean leaders in Slovenia in late October, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized that threats to the European Union come not only from the east but also from the south, stressing that the EU must have the capacity to protect the external borders of its member states.