Von der Leyen urges border protection support to EU front-line countries

STRASBOURG - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday said the European Union (EU) should help front-line countries monitor and defend their borders against potential Russian aggression.

"There is no doubt: Europe’s eastern flank keeps all of Europe safe. From the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. This is why we must invest in supporting it through an Eastern Flank Watch," she told European lawmakers in her State of the Union address Wednesday morning.

"This means giving Europe independent strategic capabilities. We must invest in real-time space surveillance so that no movement of forces goes unseen. We must heed the call of our Baltic friends and build a drone wall," the German politician added.

She stressed that Europe will defend "every inch" of its soil.

Von der Leyen's comments came only a few hours after Poland scrambled fighter jets to shoot down Russian drones that entered its airspace.

She denounced the "reckless and unprecedented" violation of Polish airspace and expressed full solidarity with Poland.

Front-line countries - especially Poland, Estonia and Lithuania - have long called for the EU to contribute financially to the defense of their borders.

A few days before giving her State of the Union address, von der Leyen went on a front-line state tour that took her to countries including Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.

"Last week, I saw this for myself when I visited front-line member states. They know best the threat Russia poses," she told European lawmakers on Wednesday.

Von der Leyen also announced the EU will enter into a so-called Drone Alliance with Ukraine and front-load EUR 6 billion from the G7-led Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA).