Sinkevičius urges EU to strengthen airspace security
Monday 28th September 2026 on 21:15 in
Lithuania
Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has called for stronger European Union airspace security and sustained funding for the bloc’s eastern flank after meeting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, LRT reported, citing the Government Chancellery.
“Strengthening air defence is now an urgent priority,” Sinkevičius said. He urged the EU to consolidate its efforts, saying the security of the bloc’s eastern border and airspace was a shared responsibility.
His remarks came as Europe faces what the article describes as a Russian campaign of hybrid attacks intended to weaken public support for Ukraine. Sinkevičius also invited von der Leyen to attend a high-level European security and resilience forum in Vilnius during Lithuania’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU. The forum would focus particularly on the security needs of eastern-flank countries.
Lithuania wants the EU to provide appropriate, sustainable funding for those countries’ security and defence needs, including in its 2028-2034 budget. Sinkevičius said the bloc’s next long-term budget should reflect changing geopolitical realities and the specific needs of its eastern border regions.
He called for additional funding to protect the external border from military and hybrid threats, as well as the instrumentalisation of illegal migration. He also said fiscal exemptions related to defence spending should be extended and called for adequate funding for cohesion policy, the common agricultural policy, strategic infrastructure and military mobility.
Sinkevičius named Rail Baltica and Via Baltica as strategic projects requiring sufficient EU funding. He also called for greater EU support for Ukraine and continued pressure on Russia, and said Lithuania hoped to advance EU enlargement during its Council presidency, with particular attention to Ukraine’s and Moldova’s accession negotiations.
On Tuesday, Sinkevičius is due to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, staff of Lithuania’s permanent representation to NATO, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, and other EU officials, according to BNS. Lithuania will hold the Council of the EU presidency from January 1 to June 30, 2027, for the second time.