EU leaders back defence roadmap, drone wall, and Ukraine reparations loan

European Union leaders gave their backing on Wednesday to a new defence roadmap centred on drone technologies and reinforced security measures, as well as a controversial proposal to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.

The informal summit, hosted in Copenhagen by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, came against the backdrop of repeated airspace violations over Poland, Estonia, Romania, and Denmark.

European Council President Antonio Costa said that leaders provided “broad support” to the European Commission’s flagship projects, which include the creation of a “European drone wall” and an “Eastern Flank Watch” to bolster surveillance and deterrence capabilities. Other proposals under review are an Air Defence Shield and a Defence Space Shield.

“The leaders broadly supported initial priority flagship projects that will strengthen Europe’s security, including the European drone wall and the Eastern Flank Watch,” Costa said at the close of the meeting.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen framed the renewed focus on drones as a necessary response to hybrid tactics employed by Russia. “We must provide the strongest of deterrence at scale and at speed,” she told reporters. “There is a clear sense of urgency because preserving peace has always been a core task of the European Union.”

Frederiksen echoed the call, stressing that Europe must learn from Ukraine’s rapid advances in drone technology. “We need to strengthen our production of drones and anti-drone capabilities,” she said.
“This includes building up a European network of anti-drone dimensions that can detect and neutralise intrusions from outside.”

The European Commission is expected to release a detailed roadmap for defence in two weeks, outlining capability targets for discussion at a formal summit later in the month.

Alongside defence strategy, leaders debated a plan to raise €140 billion for Kyiv through a loan backed by the frozen assets of Russia, most of which are held at Euroclear, a Brussels-based central securities depository.
Under the proposal, Ukraine would only repay the loan once Russia agreed to provide reparations for damages caused by its invasion.

Von der Leyen defended the initiative, calling it a “Reparations Loan” that would provide steady funding to Ukraine while protecting member states from undue risk. “It’s absolutely clear that Belgium cannot be the only member state carrying the risk,” she stressed, in response to concerns raised by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.

De Wever, whose country hosts Euroclear, raised legal and technical objections, questioning how the EU would collectively manage potential risks, defaults, or lawsuits tied to the assets. While he refrained from public comment after the meeting, his intervention highlighted the sensitivity of the plan.

Frederiksen, meanwhile, underscored that support for Ukraine is integral to Europe’s own security. “Ukraine is today Europe’s security guarantee. Our support to Ukraine is a direct investment in our own security,” she argued.

Despite lingering questions, the summit signalled strong momentum for Europe’s new security vision, balancing immediate defence measures with long-term commitments to Ukraine’s resilience and Europe’s collective deterrence capabilities.