EU gears up for military overhaul amid growing Russian threat — Politico

That is why an informal summit of EU leaders will be held in Copenhagen on October 1 to discuss a new defense strategy.

The meeting will take place against the backdrop of Russia's latest drone provocations in the EU.

This includes violations of Danish airspace, which caused Copenhagen Airport to suspend operations, and the Danish authorities subsequently called the incident a hybrid attack.

EU summit goals

It is expected that the EU military capabilities summit will discuss the creation of a drone wall to detect, track, and destroy drones, as well as projects for rapid response to aircraft intrusions into European airspace.

"Scrambling fighter jets is NATO’s job. The EU’s “job is to be ready to be in the position we need to be when we have to respond — to enhance our readiness and have the tools to be able to react to threats when needed, reinforcing common tools and capabilities in the face of a common threat," says an anonymous senior EU official.

Politico notes that it is easy to recognize the risk posed by Moscow. However, it is much more difficult to agree on how to respond in a European Union divided by conflicting priorities.

One thing is clear, though: if nothing is done, the risk of a full-scale war will increase.

"The challenges for European leaders in Copenhagen is to find a deterrence equilibrium with an increasingly risk-seeking Russian leadership that allows for the effective management of such incidents, short of them spiraling into a crisis or then potentially into conflict," says Rafael Loss, an expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

US uncertainty another reason for meeting

Rafael Loss also added that it will be difficult for EU leaders to find a balance between deterring Russia and actual war, given Donald Trump's position on this issue.

"That is very difficult when the US President, the biggest ally in the NATO alliance, says ‘feel free to shoot [Russian jets] down, but whether I have your backs, I don’t know.'" the interlocutor notes.

In private conversations, officials warn of the risk of a Ferdinand moment, when a sudden escalation could drag the continent into war, as happened after the assassination of the archduke in 1914.

EU summits

Politico notes that this is the first meeting since 27 EU leaders gathered in Brussels in June. Three months after the brief optimism of the Alaska meeting, everything has returned to sabre-rattling.

The second summit is scheduled for the end of October in Brussels. The EU is seeking real solutions to strengthen Europe's defense and financial support for Ukraine.

Drones escalation in Europe

Unknown drones have invaded Danish airspace several times in recent days, causing Copenhagen Airport to shut down.

Before this, Russian drones were spotted in Poland, Romania, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and so on.

The EU decided to respond immediately to this escalation, resulting in a decision to build a so-called anti-drone wall.