European leaders gather to discuss security and Ukraine war following drone incidents

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COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — European leaders are converging on Copenhagen on Wednesday for two summits focused on security, defense and the war in Ukraine, following a spate of troubling drone incidents at Danish airports and military bases over the last week.

Denmark’s defense ministry said that a precision radar system has been set up at Copenhagen airport to help keep watch. Unidentified drones forced the closure of the airfield a week ago, causing major disruptions to air traffic.

France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K. also sent aircraft, ships and air defense systems to Denmark ahead of the summits. Ukraine’s armed forces have dispatched a mission to the Nordic country for joint exercises, sharing its expertise on combating Russian drones.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Monday on social media that while authorities can’t conclude who is behind the hybrid attacks, "we can find that there is primarily one country that poses a threat to Europe’s security – and that’s Russia.”

Russia is the focus of Wednesday’s European Union leaders meeting, where discussions are expected to center on how to prepare Europe to fend off Russian aggression by 2030, especially as the United States turns its focus on security concerns in Asia and elsewhere.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to address the EU leaders by videolink.

Leaders and intelligence services believe that Russia could mount an assault elsewhere in Europe in 3 to 5 years, and that President Vladimir Putin is intent on testing NATO as doubts swirl about U.S. President Donald Trump’s commitment to the organization.

On Sept. 10, when several Russian drones breached Poland’s airspace, NATO aircraft were scrambled to intercept and shoot down some of the devices. It was the first direct encounter between NATO and Moscow since Russia launched its war on Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

The incident jolted leaders across Europe, raising questions about how prepared the alliance is against Russia. Days later, NATO jets escorted three Russian warplanes out of Estonia’s airspace.

The EU talks on Ukraine will focus on continued military and financial support for the conflict-ravaged country, as funds, weapons and ammunition once provided by the United States dry up.

A new proposal to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine will be discussed.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other leaders from across Europe will join their EU partners for a dinner of the European Political Community (EPC) on Wednesday evening. Around 40 heads of state or government are due to take part.

The EPC leaders will gather on Thursday for talks also focused on security, as well as trafficking and migration. Critics say the forum — which draws together EU members, aspiring partners in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, as well as Britain and Turkey — is a political ‘talking shop’ that produces few tangible results.