EU leaders back plan to ensure Europe can defend itself against external attack by 2030

european Union leaders on Thursday backed a plan to ensure Europe can defend itself from external attack by the end of the decade as concerns grow Russia Already investigating the security of the 27-nation bloc.

“A war of aggression against Russia ukraine And its implications for European and global security in a changing environment are an existential challenge,” the leaders said in a statement during a summit. brussels,

He called on national governments to “move forward on concrete projects to be launched in the first half of 2026”, in line with the new plan called Readiness 2030, which was drawn up. European CommissionThe executive branch of the European Union.

Establishing drone security to detect, track and disable rogue drones will be a top priority, following a series of disturbing airspace violations across Europe last month – some close to Europe’s borders with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

This European drone defense initiative will be a key part of a broader plan called Eastern Flank Watch to strengthen defenses on Europe’s eastern border on land, in the Baltic and Black Seas and in the air, as well as against hybrid attacks.

The leaders said the first projects should focus on building anti-drone and air defense capabilities “to respond to the most immediate needs and threats” and make full use of EU funds to do so.

The Commission estimates EU defense spending this year will amount to about 392 billion euros ($457 billion), almost double the amount four years ago, before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

It believes around 3.4 trillion euros ($4 trillion) will be spent on defense over the next decade. To help, it intends to propose increasing the EU’s long-term budget for defense and space by 131 billion euros ($153 billion).

The overarching objective of the Readiness 2030 plan is to encourage member countries to decide which of them should lead which projects, and then to launch them within the first six months of next year.

At least 40% of military procurement will have to be done jointly by the end of 2027 – making them cheaper and encouraging countries to use interoperable weapons and standards.

Projects, contracts and financing on “critical capabilities” – for example drones or satellites – will need to be settled by the end of 2028, with the entire process to be finalized two years later.

Another important part of the plan is to provide security guarantees for Ukraine. The leaders “underscored the importance of close cooperation with Ukraine and its integration with and contribution to the European defense industry.”