Minister of National Defence R. Kaunas’ commentary on the drones crashed in the Baltic states

Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas provided the position on the drone crash incidents in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia which were assessed to come astray from the defence of Ukraine against the Russian aggression.

"Ukraine is not at fault for the war russia launched. I will consult with Minister of Defence in Ukraine about the ways to avoid similar incidents and minimize unwanted impact in the future," said Minister R. Kaunas.

He underscored the incidents were a clear alert for a better defence on the eastern NATO border, specifically, more of NATO capabilities, as well as more rapid and substantial EU investment, including through the development of the Eastern Flank Watch and the European Drone Wall initiatives.

Minister R. Kaunas noted there was an intense collaboration and coordination with Estonian and Latvian counterparts and pointed out that the abundance of unconfirmed claims in the public was not helping with the effort to control the situation.

"I understand the public concerns about air defence. The situation is not excellent, nor can it be such bearing in mind the neighbors are involved in the biggest war since World War II. I will not look for excuses, instead, I am working to improve the situation. We could be in a different place had we started spending 4-5 percent of GDP on defence since 2020 at least," Minister R. Kaunas said.

Minister urges the politicians and the public to stay focused on the mutual agenda of strengthening defence.

Photo credit: A. Pliadis/MoD