Germany doesn’t believe in effectiveness of European drone wall against Russia
Photo: Boris Pistorius, German Defense Minister (Getty Images)
The European Union will not be able to build an absolutely impenetrable drone wall along its eastern borders. The project is too ambitious, and EU countries should not set their expectations too high, according to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' interview with The Times.
Pistorius is convinced that it is impossible to build an impenetrable barrier along NATO’s land border with Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, as well as along the Black and Baltic Seas.
According to him, the aggressor state is using provocations to try to force NATO countries to focus on "cheap and harmless" drones instead of strengthening a broader air defense system.
Pistorius added that the drone wall is an overly ambitious project, and European countries should "not let their expectations fly too high."
"A rock-solid drone wall that can never be penetrated is not realistic for the time being. But it could reduce the number of drones during a potential attack," the German defense minister said.
He noted that all German soldiers are currently being trained to counter drones. In addition, Germany is preparing to procure laser defense systems.
European drone wall
The European Commission proposed the drone wall project following Russian provocations in EU countries, aiming to protect the bloc’s eastern flank.
Recently, seven EU countries, Ukraine, and the European Commission held talks on establishing the drone wall.
The project has sparked debate within the bloc for several reasons. In particular, EU member states differ in their responses to Russian threats and have disagreements over the name and cost of the drone wall.
The European Union has decided to extend the drone wall to cover all EU countries so that the protection applies not only to the bloc’s eastern flank.
