Slovakia, Hungary excluded from initial EU 'drone wall' talks
Hungary and Slovakia have not been invited to a high-level video conference on the proposed "drone wall" along the EU’s eastern border, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told Suspilne on Sept. 22.
The Sept. 26 meeting, convened by EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, will include representatives from seven EU states — Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria — along with Ukraine.
Hungary and Slovakia, the only EU neighbors of Ukraine excluded from the talks, have maintained close ties with Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion and have frequently opposed stronger EU action against Moscow.
According to Regnier, the meeting will focus on assessing the capabilities and needs of participating countries, with the goal of determining next steps "in close cooperation with Ukraine and other member states."
Regnier added that the format could be expanded in the future.
The talks follow several incidents involving Russian unmanned aerial vehicles, including violations of Romanian airspace and drones shot down over Poland, which have heightened security concerns along the EU’s eastern flank.
In response to the incursion, Poland activated NATO's Article 4 and NATO launched its Eastern Sentry mission aimed at curtailing Russia's ability to interfere in alliance members' airspace.
As part of the mission, Czechia will provide Mi-171S helicopters, the U.K. will provide Typhoon fighter jets, Denmark will contribute two F-16s and an anti-air warfare frigate, France will contribute three Rafale jets, and Germany will contribute four Eurofighters.
