Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday called on the European Union to mobilise funding for joint defence projects, including missile protection systems and counter-drone initiatives, as leaders gathered for an informal EU Council in Copenhagen.
“The time has come for Europe to finally mobilise European funding to support joint European defence projects,” Mitsotakis told reporters, adding that such efforts should not be limited to the bloc’s eastern flank.
“The southeast and the southern borders must also be covered so that Europe is protected against any future threat,” he said.
The Greek leader said the meeting would address key issues for Europe’s geostrategic security, citing the war in Ukraine and wider geopolitical instability as reasons for urgent action.
“Europe must finally progress from words to actions regarding its unified protection,” Mitsotakis said.
He noted that Greece has consistently spent above the EU average on defence and will continue to allocate more than 3% of GDP in the coming years, but stressed that common European projects require collective EU funding and must cover all borders.