Estonia summons top Russian diplomat to protest against disinformation campaign
Estonia has summoned the most senior diplomat at the Russian embassy in Tallinn to protest against what it said was a “continued disinformation campaign” against the Baltic country.
The ministry said in a statement that it “strongly condemns the Russian Federation’s continued disinformation campaign against Estonia and the other Baltic States and demands that the Russian authorities immediately cease the spread of falsehoods, public threats and provocations.”
Estonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said that Tallin “has repeatedly stressed that Estonia has not permitted its territory or airspace to be used for attacks against targets in Russia.”
“Messages claiming otherwise are yet another example of Russian propaganda that is false, and they know it.”
Tsakhna added that “a threat against one Nato ally is a threat against the whole alliance.”.
The ministry added that “the appearance of drones in our airspace is a direct consequence of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, and that Ukraine has every right to defend itself and strike Russian military targets that sustain its war machine.”
'You have no right to falsely accuse the Baltic states,' Poland's foreign minister tells Russia
Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski is the latest senior EU figure (12:42, 15:21) to express concerns about Russia’s escalating rhethoric towards the Baltics (11:22).
In a post on X, he said:
“There is no acceptance for Russia’s threats against our allies. You have no right to falsely accuse the Baltic States. It is clear who the aggressor is and who the victim is. We remain firmly committed to the principles of the UN Charter and the Atlantic Treaty.”
Joint Russia-Belarus nuclear drills completed, Putin says
Russian president Vladimir Putin said that the tasks of Russia-Belarus joint nuclear drills had been fully completed.
Putin observed the drills together with Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko, saying that nuclear weapons usage remain a “last resort” measure, and that such weapons must only serve as a guarantor of Russian and Belarusian sovereignty, Belarusian defence ministry reported.
Greek defence minister demands apology from Ukraine over stray sea drone
in Athens
Meanwhile, Greece’s defence minister Nikos Dendias has demanded that Kyiv make “a big apology” to his country following the discovery of an explosive-packed, Ukrainian-made sea drone in a cave on Lefkada, an island in the Ionian.
Describing the unmanned device as “extremely dangerous” Nikos Dendias said an inquiry had made clear there was “not the slightest doubt,” the sea drone was Ukrainian.
Military experts had concluded that it had drifted off course.
“There’s not the slightest doubt that it’s an Ukrainian sea drone, we know what type it is and where it was manufactured,” Dendias told a conference in Athens.
“Ukraine owes us a big apology and apart from an apology it owes us an absolute assurance that something like this will not happen again in the wider region.”
Speaking days after it was found by a fisher in Lefkada, the defence minister had stopped short of identifying the drone’s provenance although he told reporters it was certain it had been launched “from a foreign state”.
Late Wednesday he appeared to also confirm that the long-range kamikaze drone was laden with explosives – media reports had suggested it was carrying an estimated 100kg of dynamite.
“If any cruise ship had been travelling down from Venice to the east Mediterranean, exactly on the same course as the drone and the drone hit, the ship would have sunk to the bottom of the sea,” said Dendias, adding that he had used a Nato meeting of European defense ministers in Brussels last week to explain the dangers posed by the drone.
Finding it hard to contain his fury, he added:
“How can anyone … regardless of the need to defend their homeland, and as Greeks we are the first to understand that, put the lives of innocent people at risk, in this case outside the theatre of war, because they believe that this serves their strategic planning? What happened was utterly unacceptable and we, and all countries in the Mediterranean, have to be clear about that.”
Russia puts pressure on Baltics as it hopes to discourage public from supporting Ukraine, EU defence commissioner says
EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius has accused the Kremlin of using intimidation tactics against Baltic nations to test their commitment to supporting Ukraine.
Responding to the escalating rhetoric from Russia, Kubilius – a former Lithuanian prime minister – said Moscow “is becoming nervous and … radicalises in its hybrid attacks against the Baltic states” as a response to the worsening situation on the frontline in Ukraine.
Putting out “statements and accusations” against the region (11:22), Putin “wants the people in those countries … to start to hesitate about continuing their support to Ukraine, investments in defence and so on,” he said in a video call with the Guardian’s Shaun Walker.
“Our answer should be very clear, to continue what we’re doing till now, to increase our defence spending. I think that the European Union could look for how to support all the Eastern flank countries even more,” he said.
Responding to reported accidental incursions of jammed Ukrainian drones into Baltic airspace, Kubilius said the political leaders of the region were already taking this up with Ukraine.
“But what is very important is for all the frontier countries, for the Baltic countries especially, … to strengthen their own capabilities” when it comes to detecting and responding to drones, he said.
He added that the existing systems were not good enough and needed an urgent upgrade.
“Even in my country, in Lithuania, there is a confusion on [whether] there was a drone or not (11:03).
The detection capability is still not up to that level. The radar system which is established is good to see enemy air fighters or missiles, but not so good to detect the drones. And once the drones are detected, of course the countries need to have cost-effective means to destroy them.”
Europe need 'new mindset' to confront challenges and top negotiator to try diplomacy, ex Nato chief Rasmussen says
Meanwhile, former Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen backed calls for Europe to appoint a top envoy for Ukraine to restart diplomatic discussions with Russia about ending the war.
The former Danish prime minister previously opposed the idea, but seems he has now changed his view on this.
Speaking to Politico on the margins of the Globsec Forum in Prague, he said:
“A natural way to fulfil our ambition of a more European Nato and Europeanised security would be to also pursue a diplomatic path more determinedly. So while I was a bit sceptical in the past, I may have changed my mind in the direction of being supportive when it comes to appointing someone.”
He did not engage in speculations on who would be the best candidate, but argued:
“Yes, and that’s one of the weaknesses of European Union. We have too many presidents. We need a face, and first and foremost, we need a new mindset. We are still thinking that we are living in peacetime, but we are not.
And Trump, Putin, Xi Jinping - they don’t take us seriously as long as they don’t know who is actually representing Europe.”
Plenty of names are being floated as potential candidates, including former German chancellor Angela Merkel, former Finnish president Sauli Niinistö, the European Council’s Portuguese president António Costa, and the EU’s chief diplomat Kaja Kallas of Estonia.
Lithuanian drone violated Belarusian airspace, Minsk alleges
Meanwhile – no doubt as part of that (repeatedly denied) broader narrative seeking to put pressure on the Baltics (11:22) – Belarus’s foreign ministry has lodged a protest with neighbouring Lithuania over what it said was a drone from Lithuania violating the Belarusian border, Russian state news agency RIA reported.
As far as I can tell, no evidence was publicly presented to support the claim.
Updated
Germany's Merz calls for 'associate membership' of EU for Ukraine
Brussels correspondent
Meanwhile, German chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for Ukraine to gain “associate membership” of the EU to aid the process of fully joining the bloc and bolster peace talks.
In a letter to EU leaders, Merz said associate membership – essentially participation and representation in EU institutions, but without voting rights – would be “a decisive step on Ukraine’s path to full membership”.
He also called for the EU “without delay” to open all six membership negotiating topics with Ukraine, known as clusters.
Under the German plan, Ukraine would attend EU summits and ministerial meetings, be represented in the European Commission, European Parliament and European court of justice, but unable to cast a vote.
Merz wrote:
“It is obvious that we will not be able to complete the accession process [for Ukraine] shortly, given the countless hurdles as well as the political complexities of ratification processes in various member states. However, with a view to the peace process, we do not have time for further delays…
My proposal reflects Ukraine’s particular situation, a country at war. It will help facilitate the ongoing peace talks as part of a negotiated peace solution. This is essential not only for Ukraine’s but for the entire continent’s security.”
Under the proposals:
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Ukraine would not immediately receive funds from the EU budget, but would gain access to programmes on a “step-by-step basis”.
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Kyiv would align with EU foreign policy and be covered by the EU’s mutual assistance clause, article 42.7, to create a security guarantee.
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In case of backsliding on rule of law or EU values, Ukraine would face a snapback mechanism restricting its rights.
Merz wants EU leaders to discuss his ideas at an upcoming EU summit. The next one, in June, will be the first attended by Hungary’s new prime minister, Péter Magyar, who has already signalled a new approach to Ukraine. His predecessor, Viktor Orbán, blocked the opening of accession talks with Ukraine.
In his letter Merz described EU enlargement as a “geopolitical necessity” but said the process takes too long and causes frustration for candidates and existing members.
Six western Balkan countries were told their future was in the EU back in 2003, but the process towards joining has been slow.
Merz wrote there should also be “innovative solutions” to accelerate EU enlargement with countries in the western Balkans, suggesting “privileged access” to the internal market and granting them observer status in the EU institutions.
EU enlargement lost momentum after the big bang expansion of 2004 and no country has joined since Croatia in 2013. But the process gained new urgency following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which triggered applications from Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
Latvia calls off drone alert
Meanwhile we’re getting an update from Latvia, with the drone alert now called off.
The Latvian army added its usual disclaimer that “as long as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine continues, a recurrence of such incidents, when a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle enters or approaches Latvia’s airspace, is possible.”
One drone was confirmed to have crossed into Latvia from Belarus but its current whereabouts were not known, a military spokesperson told broadcaster Latvian Television.
Updated
Nato's Rutte hints at further changes to US military commitments to Europe
Interestingly, Nato’s Rutte hints at more US announcements on its plans to “rebalance” the alliance away from “overreliance” on the US in the coming days, with the expected changes to the Nato Force Model, a pool of forces available for a potential conflict.
It was first reported by Reuters yesterday, with the agency saying the US administration was preparing to shrink the pool of military capabilities that it would have available to assist the alliance’s European nations in a major crisis (Europe Live, Wednesday).
Asked about these changes by the Swedish public broadcast SVT, Rutte says:
“I have some insight on what might happen. It will also be discussed in other fora. It might also come up tomorrow.”
He (obviously) says he is “not worried” about the changes, though.
In his usual spiel about how “it’s right that we rebalance” the alliance, he says:
“What will be announced later this week and next week by the US … is absolutely doable, and it is exactly why we had the process in place – starting last year and coming to conclusions in The Hague – when it comes to defence spending.”
He then adds that it’s just “a structured ‘business as normal’ process.”
Not sure that will reassure the (already concerned) allies in central and eastern Europe, though.
Updated
Nato allies should spend more to support Ukraine, Nato and Sweden's leaders say
Rutte and Kristersson also say that not all Nato countries equally contribute to help fund Ukraine’s defence.
Rutte says the spending “is not evenly distributed within Nato,” with “a limited” group of countries leading the effort – Sweden, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark – but many others are “not spending enough when it comes to the support for Ukraine.”
Kristersson says Sweden is the third largest donor and it “it would be far better if more countries competed with our size of support.
He says:
“We need to be long term and firm in our support. So I really would like more countries that speak so extremely well about Ukraine to also put the money where the mouth is.”
Swedish PM defends Ukraine from criticism over stray drones, warns against Russian disinformation
Sweden’s Kristersson jumps in to Ukraine’s defence, too.
He says:
“It’s my firm belief that the Ukrainians are very… I mean, they certainly don’t want their drones to end up on friendly territory, for obvious reasons.
Sometimes it’s a matter of jamming, sometimes it’s a matter of other disturbances, and obviously they do not want them to happen, because it could create damage, it could create fear, of course.
But I think you should also realise that there is Russian willingness to give the impression that other countries are kind of doing things that are not legitimate, and that’s why … we should really not be open for the Russian narrative on this, but … help the Ukrainians as much as we can to direct, to help them direct their attacks in the right directions.”
Rutte joins him to once again declare the various Russian theories about the three Baltic states allegedly allowing Ukraine to launch drones from their territory (11:22) as “totally ridiculous.”
Rutte gets asked about the latest drone incident in Latvia.
He largely repeats his talking point from yesterday, saying that if gets confirmed that it’s another stray drone from Ukraine, these drones “are there because of the full-scale Russian attack against Ukraine, Ukraine having to defend itself.”
He says that Nato is “always prepared for every eventuality,” and it has shown with its response to a stray drone over Estonia that it’s prepared for any scenario.
We next go to the Q&A, and Rutte gets exactly what he gets every single time when he appears at a press conference: a question on Trump.
The question focuses on his past comments that he had an agreement with Trump on “no surprise” announcements, and whether that arrangements is obviously looking somewhat shaky given the recent US announcement on troop withdrawals or delayed rotations affecting Germany and Poland.
As often, Rutte doesn’t really answer the question, deflects and talks about the work Europe is doing to increase its defence spending and military posture instead.
He argues that Europe’s overreliance on the US is “not healthy,” and Europeans need to “take more care of their own defence.”
When he eventually gets to the basic premise of the question, he says:
“The rotational forces involved in the announcements do not have an impact on Nato’s defence plans.”
He says the US’s decision to pivot away from Europe and towards Asia is only being done “step by step in a way where it will not, of course, lower the overall deterrence in defence of Nato.”
Nato's response to any attack would be 'devastating,' Rutte says
Rutte begins with general niceties about Sweden as the latest country to join the alliance, praising its contribution to Nato, and plans to increase defence spending.
He commends Sweden on its work to stop Russia’s shadow fleet.
He then delivers his usual warning, clearly aimed at Russia:
“Let there be no mistake: our ability and our resolve to defend every ally are absolute. Were anyone to be so foolish as to attack, the response would be devastating.”
Nato's Rutte speaks alongside Swedish PM ahead of Nato meeting
I will bring you more lines from Esper and Rasmussen soon, but let’s go to Sweden now where the current Nato secretary-general, Mark Rutte, is speaking alongside the Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson ahead of a Nato ministerial later today.
'If Russia were to invade, I'm confident we would live up to our obligations,' former US defence secretary Esper says
Back to Prague, former US defence secretary Mark Esper sought to reassure the audience that Europe can still trust the US as a partner in Nato, despite recent confusion over the presence of US troops on the continent.
Speaking to former Danish PM and Nato secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, he said:
“Yes, Europe can trust the United States. … The alliance has gone through these ups and downs in the past, and I think at the end of the day, if the consensus in Washington DC, from both Democrats and Republicans, most on both sides, is that Nato is critical to American security; it’s certainly critical to stability and security in Europe.
And when push comes to shove, if Russia were to invade, I’m confident that we would live up to our obligations.”
But he said that Trump was “spot on” calling Europe out on defence spending, stressing this point has been repeatedly made by numerous US administrations.
Rasmussen partially agreed, saying that:
“For too long Europe has been too dependent on cheap energy from Russia, cheap goods from China, and cheap security from the United States. That model doesn’t work any longer.”
Russia doubles down on repeatedly denied claims alleging Baltics were looking to enable Ukrainian drone attacks
Meanwhile, Russia has doubled down on its (repeatedly denied) suggestions that Latvia and other Baltic states could soon be used by Ukraine as a “launchpad” for attacks on Russia, raising fears about a potential escalation in the region.
In a lengthy statement on its Telegram channel, the Russian ministry of foreign affairs said – quoting its foreign intelligence serving, but without offering any evidence – its claims that the Ukrainian military is preparing to carry out strikes on Russia from the territories of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
It criticised Latvia’s “naive” leaders for allegedly “consenting” to the operation – again, a claim repeatedly denied by Latvia’s top leadership, including both the president and the prime minister, and Ukraine (Europe Live, Tuesday).
As part of the message, the Russian MFA even named the five Latvian military bases it alleged were hosting the Ukrainian drones.
“Nato membership will not shield accomplices of terrorists from just retribution,” it said, repeating the threats first made in the UN security council meeting earlier this week, which prompted clear condemnation from the US and the EU.
Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte said yesterday that Russia’s claims were “totally ridiculous, and Russia knows it” (Europe Live, Wednesday).
Updated
Worth remembering that the (now repeated) drone incursions into Latvian airspace have caused some real political damage in the country, prompting a government crisis leading to the collapse of Evika Siliņa’s administration last week.
Lithuania continues search for drone that prompted air alert yesterday
Meanwhile, Lithuania is still looking for a military drone that prompted a national air threat alert yesterday, with the country’s leaders led to bunkers and the general public told to take shelter.
The drone disappeared from the Lithuanian radars near Vilnius, with a major search operation now under way trying to figure out what happened to it.
The operation had to be paused last night because of darkness, but has resumed this morning, with the authorities now looking closer to the Lithuanian border with Belarus.
“Until the object is found, no one can say for sure, but all parameters recorded by radars [...] point to a drone,” Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre, said, quoted by LRT.
Latvia confirms drone incursion in its airspace
Oh-oh.
Further to the earlier air alert, Latvia has just confirmed “there is at least one unmanned aerial vehicle in Latvia’s airspace.”
There is still no detail on what sort of drone or whose drone it is.
We will surely hear more about it during the day.
Ukraine is 'military power with huge production capabilities' that must not be allowed to fall in Russian hands, former Estonian president says
Back in Prague, former Estonian president Kersti Kaljulaid offered a clear take on the question facing the EU as it is moving to consider whether Ukraine should be admitted as a member of the bloc.
“I just wanted to say [it] should be about simplification. It’s very difficult to discuss [if] Ukraine [should] join European Union, and then we discuss how will its agriculture fit the common agricultural policy.
[But] this is not the question. Question is: Ukraine is a military power with huge military production capability. Whose hands must it be in? In Russian hands, [or] western hands? End of story. This is our question. This is our objective.
Have Ukrainians with us, because imagine they started, like in Soviet Union times, to build all these things for Russia, not for us.
And that gives you your answer. It’s very simple.”
Ukraine ramping up security measures in regions bordering Belarus
Following Zelenskyy’s warnings yesterday, Ukraine is ramping up security measures in its regions bordering Belarus, AFP reported, after weeks of warning of a possible fresh attack from Russia’s chief regional ally.
Kyiv has sounded the alarm that Russia may use Belarus – a springboard for its 2022 invasion of Ukraine – to stage a new offensive from the north, including towards the capital.
AFP noted that Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said its units and the army were “carrying out a comprehensive set of enhanced security measures in the northern regions of our country”.
The measures – including stepped up checks and controls of individuals and properties – “will serve as an effective deterrent to any aggressive actions or operations by the enemy and its ally”, the SBU said in a statement.
Just a reminder that Russia and Belarus are also staging joint nuclear drills this week, involving thousands of troops, planes and strategic missile forces.
Ukraine must be precise when using drones to avoid helping Russian provocations, Poland's defence minister says
For what it’s worth, Poland’s defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said this morning Ukraine must be very precise when using drones to avoid Russia interfering with their flight path.
“Ukraine must be more precise here, of course, to avoid giving rise to Russian provocations,” Kosiniak-Kamysz told a news conference in the Estonian capital Tallinn, Reuters reported.
“Our territories … should not be violated, they should not be threatened.”
Earlier this week, Ukraine apologised for individual cases when its drones attacking targets in Russia strayed into the Baltic airspace, blaming Moscow’s “electronic warfare.”
But Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte laid the blame squarely on Russia, saying bluntly yesterday (Europe Live, Wednesday):
“If drones come from Ukraine, they are not there because Ukraine wanted to send a drone to Latvia, Lithuania, or Estonia. They are there because of the reckless, illegal, full-scale attack of Russia, starting in 2022 after, of course, what they did in Crimea in 2014 against Ukraine.”
Updated
Latvia declares possible drone alert for southeastern part of country
And just like that, Latvia’s army has just issued a possible drone alert over southeastern part of the country – for the third day in a row.
I will keep an eye on that as there are more questions than answers at this early stage, including the crucial one on where does the it come from and, well, whose is it as we have seen reports of stray Ukrainian drones crossing into the Baltic countries as a result of Russian jamming.
Updated
Russia claims Ukraine is seeking escalation after Zelenskyy warns of possible expansion of war by Russia
Just as Pavel was speaking in Prague, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was pursuing escalation of the conflict between the two countries.
It’s quite a claim given (checks notes) Russia’s continued and relentless invasion of Ukraine for years.
But it fits a pattern of Russia’s increasingly assertive or outright aggressive language towards others in the region – first the Baltics, and Latvia in particular, and now Ukraine.
In fact, Zelenskyy specifically warned last night about the prospect of Russia expanding its aggression, particularly from the direction of Belarus.
“Ukraine will certainly defend itself, and right now our task is to strengthen our state so that none of Russia’s five scenarios for expanding the war through northern Ukraine succeeds,” he said.
Updated
Europe needs to learn from Ukraine, move 'much faster' to respond to challenges, Pavel says
Pavel also warns against Europe losing out through “bureaucratic obstacles.”
He points to Ukraine’s ability to innovate and live test new solutions, such as drones, within days, going through procurement and production to an accelerated timeline.
“Ukraine has demonstrated not only determination and heroism, but also unbelievable capacity to adjust, to innovate, to change.
It is something that we in Europe have lost through many regulatory measures that are necessary in peacetime, but of course in conflict you have to be … flexible and achieve the results in shortest possible time. …
I visited Ukraine a number of times, and also companies producing drones. They are producing them in a vast variety of versions, sending them straight to the frontline, testing in days, and having feedback in companies again in days. So the pace goes well beyond what we can achieve in peacetime. …
If we want to succeed in any potential future conflict, we have to have the procedures that will be much faster than that we have today, because otherwise we will be losing the conflict on bureaucratic obstacles.”
He compares it to Europe “having all the ingredients for a great meal, but we still don’t have a recipe.”
And that ends his session.
Updated
In a short Q&A, Pavel gets asked about the role of AI and technology more broadly.
He says it is “beyond any doubt that technology will be the weapon of the future,” as he points out to Russia’s Putin and China’s Xi focusing on this issue during their talks in China this week.
“I think we have to take it seriously, because mainly China is our is doing tremendous progress in this, and experience from both Ukraine and the Middle East shows that technological superiority can be a true game changer.”
'Peace in Europe no longer default,' Czechia's Pavel says
In a stark warning, Pavel – a retired Nato general – warns that “peace in Europe can no longer be treated as the default state of affairs.”
“It must once again be actively protected, defended and maintained. The lesson of this moment is not that Europe is alone it is that Europe needs to be strong enough to stand on its own when needed.”
He warns that Europe needs to pull all the levers to get itself into the best position, as “history will simply not wait for Europe to become ready.”
“We must act swiftly,” he says.
'If Ukraine is forced into bad peace, we will all live with consequences for decades,' Pavel warns
Pavel turns to Ukraine, stressing that “supporting Ukraine is not a charity,” but “a direct investment in Europe’s own security.”
“If Ukraine is forced into a bad peace, we all will live with the consequences for decades,” he warns.
EU and Nato should align priorities to help Europe step up its defence, Pavel says
Pavel also stresses the need to bring the EU and Nato closer, as Brussels “has instruments that Nato does not have: funding, infrastructure, and industrial policies” that can work as policy tools to help with defence preparations.
“I am convinced that these two sets of instruments should be connected. Nato and European Union are not competitors in European security. They should function as complementary pillars.”
He gives a specific example of Nato working with the EU to modernise “routes, ports, bridges and airfields” that are critical for moving forces across Europe.
“The task is to make sure that the two plans overlap; that Nato’s military requirements guide EU investments, and the EU investments strengthen Nato deterrence.”
He pointedly says that such plans should include Canada, Norway, and the UK, as “indispensable European security actors.”
'No time to lose' as capabilities, not spending, are key for Europe's ability to defend itself, Pavel says
Pavel says that Europe “has already made significant progress in defence spending,” but warns that “credible defence is not built on spending levels alone.”
“We need to work hard to strengthen our strategic enablers and close critical gaps in areas such as strategic airlift, air and missile defence, intelligence, logistics, or military mobility. There is no time to lose.”
'Many assumptions for old security architecture are no longer valid,' Czech president warns
Pavel begins by saying that his repeated warnings that Europe needs to focus on its political will, industrial capacity and technological capacity “remain fully valid; if anything, it has become even more urgent today.”
He says it is clear that Europe “must assume greater responsibility for our own defence, not because we are told so by Washington, but because it is in our own strategic and vital interest.”
He says that as “debates about the future scale of America’s conventional military presence in Europe are becoming more pronounced, Europe must be prepared for this reality.”
“This doesn’t mean that Europe should turn away from the United States – just the opposite. Nato remains the foundation of our collective defence, and the transatlantic bond remains essential for our own security – but we must be honest [that] many assumptions supporting the old security architecture are no longer valid.”
The Globsec Forum in Prague is now under way.
Czechia’s Pavel is on stage for his opening address.
I will bring you the key lines.
Morning opening: Dobré ráno from Prague
in Prague
Dobré ráno, or good morning from Prague.
Over 2,000 state officials, foreign policy and security experts from Europe and beyond are meeting in the Czech capital for the GLOBSEC Forum 2026. And there is no shortage of issues to cover.
From the latest drone incidents in the Baltics to broader security situation in Ukraine and Europe – and this part of Europe in particular – to broader global questions on energy, geopolitics, AI, and the state of the transatlantic alliance, there will be plenty of things to cover.
We will hear from the Czech president, Petr Pavel, the European Commission’s vice-president, Henna Virkunen, and the former Nato secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, among others just as Nato’s foreign ministers gather in Sweden for their ministerial meeting today and tomorrow.
Last night, Pavel warned that Russia will continue to be Europe’s main security threat for decades, as the continent wakes up from being overreliant on US protection and needs to radically bolster its own defence as a new global order of competing superpowers takes shape.
I will bring you all the key lines here.
Elsewhere, I will bring you the latest on Ukraine, the said drone incidents in the Baltics, and all other relevant news from across the continent.
It’s Thursday, 21 May 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
