Von der Leyen vows to fight drone threats in EU airspace

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised to battle drone incursions into European airspace as she visited Baltic states in a show of support. In a visit to Lithuania, she accused Moscow of deliberately using hybrid tactics to destabilise Europe. Defence ministers gathered in Riga for the international Drone Summit 2026, just weeks after Ukrainian drones entered Latvian airspace and crashed into an oil storage facility. The incident led to the Latvian government collapsing as its defence minister and Prime Minister Evika Siliņa resigning. Latvian authorities say the drones were allegedly thrown off course by Russian electronic jamming. Concern is spreading across NATO’s eastern flank as repeated drone incursions have forced civilians and politicians into bomb shelters, raising fears the war in Ukraine is increasingly spilling across borders. Russia has denied responsibility and accused Baltic nations of assisting Ukrainian attacks against Russian territory. Baltic governments dismiss those claims as disinformation and are urging NATO to strengthen its presence in the region, by expanding its anti-drone air defence systems. Joining Enda Brady for this discussion: Paul Ingram Director of the Global Stability Network Mary Dejevsky Foreign Affairs Columnist at The Independent Liudas Abisala Head of Marketing and Communications at RSI Europe #drones #ukraine #russia #latvia #eu Roundtable is a discussion programme with an edge. Broadcast out of London and presented by Enda Brady, it's about bringing people to the table, listening to every opinion, and analysing every point of view. From fierce debate to reflective thinking, Roundtable discussions offer a different perspective on the issues that matter to you. Watch it every weekday at 15:00 GMT on TRT World.