EU Considers Comprehensive Air Defense Shield Backed by Greece and Poland

 The European Union is evaluating the creation of its own air defense shield following support for a Greek-Polish initiative. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposed the idea to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who swiftly endorsed it.

EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, also expressed support but noted numerous questions remain, such as the placement, capacity, and funding of the air defenses.

The initiative aims to create a comprehensive system to protect EU airspace, motivated by the threat of Russia’s actions in Ukraine. This joint project would also demonstrate EU unity in defense.

The Greek-Polish proposal could challenge Germany's European Sky Shield Initiative, which involves 21 countries and integrates NATO's air defense architecture with a mix of European and non-European systems like the Israeli-American Arrow 3 missile and the U.S. Patriot system. Germany’s reaction to the new proposal has been neutral, provided it doesn't interfere with their efforts.

While the idea was discussed at the recent Foreign Affairs Council meeting, no formal action was taken. German and EU officials indicated that formalizing such proposals wasn’t within the council's immediate remit.