My third point is on integrating Ukraine into Europe's defense industrial strategy. It will complement our own European flagship air defense projects. Because Ukraine's battlefield experience is helping our own defense adaptation, it's in our strategic interest to deepen the coordination on next generation defense technology so that we can produce more, we can produce better and of course smarter. Our objective is very clear. Together, Europe and Ukraine must build the industrial capacity to out innovate our adversaries. And finally, I would like to reflect together on a broader strategic lesson. Unfortunately, today hybrid and cyber attacks, foreign interference, and disinformation are appearing regularly. Member states facing such threats should be able to count on European solidarity and this is why I believe that Europe should develop a protocol for such hybrid situations. It would enable rapid mobilization of all available EU instruments because after all deterrence is the best strategy to preserve peace. So let's stay vigilant and let's stay united. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Madam President. Now, let me invite the president of Estonia, Mr. Alaris, to begin. Mr. President, please.
Mr. President Neda, President on the Lion, President Enkevich, and dear journalists, the recent drone incidents in our region show clear that the security situation on Europe's eastern flank remains serious and that Russia continues to pressure Europe's borders in different ways. As mentioned by Madame President, those are not isolated incidents. Together with migration pressure, border provocations and disinformation operations, these airspace violations are part of a border pattern aimed at intimidating us, testing our readiness, and creating uncertainty. Our response must be calm, coordinated, and firm. Overbown narratives only undermine our resolve. At the same time, it is important to recognize that this is not only a regional issue. What happens in Europe's eastern borders concerns the security of the whole European Union and the alliance. Protecting Europe's eastern borders means protecting Europe as a whole. Therefore, the issue must be taken with all seriousnesses. Russia's aim is to increase pressure on us in order to weaken support for Ukraine. This is why the most important thing is to remain united, stay calm, and continue supporting Ukraine politically, militarily, economically, and diplomatically. Ukraine's right to self-defense is fully in align with the international law and the UN charter. As this is external border and airspace of both NATO and the European Union, Estonia continues to invest in air defense, counter drone capabilities, and situation awareness together with our Baltic and Nordic partners. But strategies alone are not enough. We need faster and more concrete action. I am pleased that President Mund lion joined us in this discussion today. European security is invisible and Europe's strength lies in unity. The urgent priority in strengthen multi-layer drone detection and air defense capabilities. European defense projects of common interest, especially eastern flank watch, need to become a reality much faster. We count on increased EU support for this. At the same time, strengthening cooperation between the European and Ukrainian defense industries remain essential. Looking ahead, the needs of the eastern flank must also be reflected in the next European longterm budget. Thank you very much for attention.
Thank you. And now I would like to invite the president of Latvia Anderson to deliver his statement. Mr. President.
Thank you very much and first of all dear president Ala de Ganas thank you very much for your hospitality and also convening this meeting. Madame President deul thank you very much for your presence and I think for us this has been a very important show of solidarity. I want to thank the European Commission, European Union for very swift messaging of support and solidarity last week when Russia had baseless accusations against the Baltic states concerning the drone incidents. I think that that shows that the European Union stands united, stands behind each and every member state. I would like to emphasize a couple of points. First of all, I think that it is important to understand that we are here and we are talking about many topics of resilience, topics of air defense because of one reason. Russia attacked Ukraine. If Russia would not attack Ukraine, we wouldn't have such incidents here in the Baltic states. We wouldn't have those enormous efforts by Ukrainians fighting back aggression but also by the European nations supporting Ukraine. But we also are witnessing that Russia is failing. Russia is becoming more desperate and to some extent Russia is also becoming more dangerous. We need to take that into account and as my colleague President Karis just said we need to address those challenges in a calm manner but we also need to show firm and efficient response. So from this perspective, I think that it is very important that we are prepared for further disinformation campaigns or further provocations, maybe also acts of sabotage. But we also need to take into account that the Baltic states are integral part of the European Union and NATO. And I think that we are of the same opinion that any kind of such challenge will be met by firm response from each and every European member state by the European Union. As you already heard, we discussed couple of very concrete measures that we need to take. Detection of drones, counter drone capabilities, more efficient use of the existing mechanisms of the European Union and the president of the commission outlined all the instruments that are available and I think that we are going to use them to the fullest extent possible. But we also need to take into account that we need to address as president said concerns of people who are living in the eastern parts of our countries. And I think we also need to develop some more instruments to encourage economic life there because each and every incident has some impact that we need also to reassure people living there that we as the national governments and also the European Union take good care of those. My final point the Baltic states have been very resilient. We have set targets and we were able to fulfill a year and three months ago. We were exactly in this very hole when we were disconnecting from Braille and connecting to the European energy grid. So we were actually implementing the plan to become more independent when it comes to energy policy. I'm absolutely confident that we will be also able with the help and with the coordination and cooperation with our very good friends in the European Commission and in the European Union member states also we will be able to resolve the current challenges and we will become more resilient and much stronger. Thank you.
Thank you. We will now move on to questions from the media. So please come to the microphone, introduce yourself and indicate clearly to whom your question is addressed. Go ahead.
Thank you so much. Lithuanian national broadcaster. I have a double-sided question. The first part is for you madam president and the second part is for you gentlemen. So regarding recent incursions in the Baltic country's airspace, are there any plans for additional help financial or any practical one to strengthen air defense capabilities in the Baltics and how to beat that slow bureaucracy? And for the second part for the presidents what happened recently on the Kaliningrad airspace was it another Russian propaganda show to shut down the air the airspace because of drones alert or Ukraine somehow managed an attempt to strike? Thank you so much.
So on the first part of your question what the funding is concerned perhaps I divide it in two steps. First of all the current funding that is now available and then the funding that will be available with the next MFFF. So let's look at the current funding. New is since a few weeks the 1.5 billion euros from cohesion plans cohesion money can now be invested in defense. Then very new to since 2 months is the so-called east invest facility with 28 billion euros. This is specifically created for the eastern flank countries. And then the 12 billion euros from safe this is all available important is now to implement it to let the money work. That is the most important part. Then for the next long-term budget, the proposal of the commission is to triple the investment in migration and border management to increase by five times the investments in defense and to have a tenfold increase for military mobilities. We are in negotiations for the long-term budget, but this is the proposal of the commission.
I could comment on the case. We would probably need to see it in a broader context. Recently Ukraine long-term long distance drones reach very distant regions in Russia causing fear in the society of Russia. However, this is an attempt to show that the war in Ukraine is not just military actions in Ukraine but Russia having started this war can also receive certain response and also to see this response in its own territory. So Kaliningrad here is just an issue of a broader context and I cannot say that whether it's a Russia's propaganda or not but such talks or rumors about actions in Kaliningrad I have been hearing such talks since the beginning of May. I cannot say whether they are grounded or not but I can say only one thing. Lithuania as far as I know with the Latvia and Estonia their territories cannot be used for attacks against neighboring countries. This is our very firm principle which is grounded in our attempt to protect our own people because any drone that flies over our territories has not only to be detected but also destroyed according to the possibilities. That's why we are talking about our weaknesses and our defenses and what we need to do ourselves and to do together with the European commission, European Union and other states so that these goals become a reality as soon as possible.
So only thing I can add I mean it's most of the drones I'm not to say all the drones came from Ukraine and one of them was taken down by Romanian fighter coming from Lithuania. But of course Kaliningrad is a concern as far as I know there is one of the biggest jamming system set up in this region and of course they are able to divert all the drones if necessary. So we have to work on counter defense and there are good examples in Estonia. There was a military exercise called springtorm and we had experts from Ukraine as well teaching us how to take down those drones. So we are a bit behind. I agree. But still, I mean, I guess we do develop fast to be able to take him down in a cheaper way than it was happened by this Romanian jet.
Well, it's always great to be the youngest guy in this group because I have to respond a lot and frankly everything is already said. But let me just reiterate two points. Number one, what they are seeing Russia is escalating its attacks against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Just couple of days ago, we saw the very massive attack against Kiev and also the region of Kiev. The Ukrainian side has full right to respond targeting military and economic targets. For obvious reasons, they are not sharing publicly or privately their operational plans. So I wouldn't be able to comment on your question directly but one thing that I also want to re iterate what President Ned said Latvia like Lithuania or Estonia has not given any permission to use airspace or the territory for such attacks. That's what we have put as the kind of legal and also practical framework. So we are investigating each and every incident that we have seen but I would not be able currently to comment from my side on a very specific issue that you have asked about the yesterday's or mornings early morning's incident.
