Overview

• European Commission spokesperson Thomas Renié said Ukraine is fully involved in negotiations and programs tied to the border counter-drone initiative.
• The joint project by Germany, Poland, Finland and the Baltic states envisions a multilayer detection and automated defense network along the EU’s frontier with Russia.
• Officials say the effort remains in development and prototype selection, with Ursula von der Leyen pledging to propose immediate steps.
• Swedish military and research experts questioned the practicality of a contiguous barrier, citing expensive counter-UAS systems with limited range, manpower needs, and no guarantee of complete protection.
• Funding positions diverged as Finland reported no unanimous EU agreement on financing, while Norway signaled a contribution.