Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a special reference to the need for effective defense reinforcement at the EU Summit in Copenhagen. Specifically, he emphasized the need for Europe to protect its southern borders in addition to its eastern ones. The Greek Prime Minister added, during the informal European Council Summit in Copenhagen and specifically within the framework of discussions on strengthening European defense, that “we must take the message from Ukraine,” while also emphasizing that Europe must be at the forefront of technological developments in defense and acquire its own production capacity and innovation.
Mitsotakis’ message from Copenhagen: “Any joint European defense project must view Europe’s security comprehensively”
“Greece belongs to those countries that have for many years supported their defense spending at a level much higher than the European average and we will continue to do so, allocating resources above 3% of GDP for our defense expenditures in the coming years. The time has come for Europe to mobilize European resources to support European projects of common European defense, such as missile defense or defense walls against drone infiltration,” emphasized Kyriakos Mitsotakis and continued: “Any joint European defense project concerning Europe cannot be limited only to the continent’s eastern borders. It must view Europe’s security comprehensively. Obviously, southeastern borders must be covered, as well as Europe’s southern borders, so that our continent is armored against any possible future threat.”
The Greek Prime Minister was clear in his statement to the Council, emphasizing that “we must take the message from Ukraine,” referring to the critical importance of new technologies on the battlefield, and highlighted that Europe must be at the forefront of technological developments in defense and acquire its own production capacity and innovation.
He also emphasized that Greece is already making efforts in this direction, with the Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation (ELCDI).
The Copenhagen Summit
The informal Summit is preparing the “Defense Roadmap 2030,” which will be officially presented at the Brussels Summit in October. On Thursday, the work of the European Political Community continues, with Ukraine, migration, and energy security as the backdrop.
NATO warships, heavily armed police officers, and surveillance drones have transformed Copenhagen into a “fortress” ahead of the informal European Union Summit. The tension is palpable, as ten Alliance countries have contributed with drones and helicopters, reinforcing Danish security following the disruption caused by mysterious drones, which were detected even at military airfields.
