In recent weeks, particularly in light of Russia’s devastating air attacks on cities in Eastern Ukraine, including Kharkiv, European politicians have been discussing the urgent need for an ‘Iron Dome’ to protect Europe. Last week, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in an interview with the Polish TV channel TVP, asserted that Europe has the resources to establish an Iron Dome akin to Israel’s. “We possess all the necessary technological and financial capabilities,” he stressed. Tusk also urged European leaders to begin negotiations promptly to turn these ideas into reality. “This entails political coordination; we must ensure that the dome covers all of Europe rather than each country having its own. It also requires collective investments, particularly in the defence industry,” Tusk underscored.
According to another Polish media source, wnp.pl, Donald Tusk had previously discussed the idea of constructing a European “Iron Dome” with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen back in mid-April.
Last week, Poland and Greece reached out to the European Commission for assistance in developing and financing a pan-European air defence system. In an interview with Polish television, Donald Tusk mentioned that he and his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, had sent a letter to the European Commission regarding a joint European defence policy. Tusk added, “We’ve already received a very positive response from the European Commission about making missile defence a shared responsibility for Europe, considering the significant costs involved.”
Meanwhile, the British newspaper Financial Times highlights the pressing need for immediate enhancement in NATO’s eastern flank’s air defence. “Based on insights from sources acquainted with last year’s classified defence strategies, NATO nations can only deliver less than 5% of the essential air defence capabilities required to safeguard Alliance members in Central and Eastern Europe from a comprehensive assault,” the publication reports.
FT also quotes a senior NATO diplomat who asserts that the ability to defend against missiles and air strikes is “a cornerstone of the plan to shield Eastern Europe from invasion.” According to him, NATO currently lacks the capability to defend its member states from a large-scale assault. “The active deployment of missiles, drones, and highly destructive ‘cruise missiles’ from the Soviet era by Russia in Ukraine has heightened the urgency for NATO members to ramp up defence spending after decades of military budget reductions,” reports FT.
Previously, reports emerged in both European and American media suggesting that not only the eastern flank of NATO but also countries like the United Kingdom are inadequately shielded from missile threats. Just recently, Sky News, citing Cold War veterans and military sources, emphasised that the United Kingdom “is increasingly susceptible to missile and drone threats after years of budget cuts that have dismantled its once formidable air defence system.”
FT also notes that European NATO countries’ reluctance in recent months to provide Ukraine with additional air defence resources has highlighted the limited availability of these costly and slow-to-produce systems on the continent.
