Strasbourg [France], September 11: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday called for major defence investments to support eastern European countries in deterring threats posed by Russia.
"We must invest in real-time spatial surveillance so that no movement of forces goes unnoticed," von der Leyen said in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, hours after Poland said it destroyed more than a dozen Russian drones over its airspace.
Von der Leyen also advocated building a "drone wall" to improve air defence. "This is not an abstract ambition, it is the foundation of a credible defence," she stressed. Von der Leyen's address was the first major speech of her second term as the most powerful EU official.
The commission president urged EU lawmakers to back her key policy projects for the coming years, from continued support for war-torn Ukraine and improving the EU's defence capacities to new trade agreements. Von der Leyen also announced an alliance with Ukraine for the production of drones.
Source: Qatar Tribune
