EU defence ministers are meeting to discuss responses to Russian hybrid threats and Europe's defence readiness. An EU report identified gaps in air defence, drones and ammunition; efforts to close them were described as insufficient to significantly strengthen readiness by 2030.
The report is from the European Defence Agency. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for an EU alert mechanism independent of NATO. Under the proposal, any one of the 27 member states could trigger a meeting of all EU countries to deter escalation and mitigate a threat. Discussions follow a foiled drone attack at a German airport and a strike targeting a railway line linking Ukraine and Poland. A new EU security strategy is due later this year.
EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas said defence investment had risen but major capability gaps remained. Germany's Sebastian Hartmann urged other EU countries to significantly increase defence spending to boost European production, citing Germany's contributions in land warfare, maritime capabilities and military mobility. Poland's Paweł Zalewski welcomed the alert plan, saying NATO is prepared for military threats but has gaps in responding to hybrid activity. Hartmann called for EU-NATO cooperation, while France's Catherine Vautrin stressed cooperation among EU intelligence agencies.
