Listen: EU leaders debate 'drone wall' in Copenhagen after airspace violations

Today, Europe’s leaders gather in Copenhagen under unusually tight security. Outside, a German frigate sits in the harbour, signalling Europe’s military mood. Meanwhile, Danish authorities have banned all civilian drone flights this week, with Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frideriksen stressing that Europe’s “hybrid war” isn’t some abstract concept, it’s already playing out in the skies above us.

Inside, leaders will spend barely four hours debating how to fortify the EU’s defences, support Ukraine, and how to overcome Hungary’s endless vetoes on basically anything Viktor Orban doesn’t like. What else is on the agenda?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with Sphera Network.

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You can find the transcript here if you prefer reading:

Today, Europe’s leaders gather in Copenhagen under unusually tight security. Outside, a German frigate sits in the harbour, signalling Europe’s military mood. Meanwhile, Danish authorities have banned all civilian drone flights this week, with Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frideriksen stressing that Europe’s “hybrid war,” isn’t some abstract concept it’s already playing out in the skies above us.

Inside, leaders will spend barely four hours debating how to fortify the EU’s defences, support Ukraine, and how to overcome Hungary’s endless vetoes on basically anything Viktor Orbán doesn’t like. What else is on the agenda?

So on the table are five thorny issues. First up of course is defence. The European Commission wants to take the lead on flagship projects like a so-called “drone wall” along the eastern flank, but big players like Germany, France and Italy would rather keep control, because there’s the small matter of money, a discussion that revolves between joint EU borrowing versus national funding. Everyone agrees Europe needs a defence roadmap by 2030, but no one agrees who should pay.

Then it’s Russia’s frozen billions. Brussels is floating the bold idea to use €140bn in sanctioned Russian assets to fund a loan for Ukraine. Kyiv would repay it only when Moscow finally pays reparations. Which is creative but legally might be a violation of international law. And Hungary, Slovakia, and even Belgium, where the money is actually held, are anything but enthusiastic.

Of course on the agenda is also Ukraine’s EU membership. All 27 member states must agree, and Hungary is, again, the stumbling block. European Council president António Costa has suggested shifting from unanimity to qualified majority voting for opening accession talks, an elegant way of saying, “let’s stop letting Orbán hold everyone hostage.” Predictably, Paris, The Hague, and Athens are sceptical about this.

In the same spirit will also be the negotiation for the new sanctions. The EU’s 19th package targets more Russian and foreign companies. But as usual, Budapest threatens to block, until Viktor Orbásn feels like it.

And finally there are Germany’s demands. Chancellor Friedrich Merz is showing up with a laundry list, including watering down the EU’s combustion engine ban. Sweden, among others, is firmly opposed. So expect sparks there.

Now all these talks are urgent because the recent drone incursions over Poland, Estonia, Romania and even Danish airports have underlined just how vulnerable Europe still is.

And then there’s the money. Financing Ukraine’s survival with Russia’s frozen billions sounds clever, but it risks shaking global trust in the euro. Imagine if central banks start pulling their reserves from Europe because they fear Brussels might just “repurpose” them one day. So that doesn’t just make geopolitics shaky, but also jobs, savings, and even energy bills.

And the political stakes are just as high. If the EU can’t overcome its own internal deadlock on sanctions, defence, Ukraine’s future it hands Moscow exactly what it wants: a divided, paralysed Europe.
So, what happens next?

Today’s Copenhagen summit is informal. Leaders won’t take binding decisions, just test the waters. In three weeks, at the formal European Council, they’ll have to actually commit on building that “drone wall,” on freeing up Russian assets, on how to fund defence, and on whether Ukraine finally takes its next step towards EU membership.

Whether Europe’s leaders can move as fast as the threats they face will be crucial and judging by the pace of EU decision-making, that might be the biggest challenge of all.