McEntee to attend EU defence minister meeting in Brussels

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Helen McEntee is attending a meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels which will be dominated by Russia's escalating attacks on Ukraine, as well as an increase in its alleged hybrid warfare on European soil.

The Ukrainian Minister for Defence Yevhenii Khmara will use the meeting to update ministers by video link on the situation on the ground.

It comes as Russia has been intensifying its attacks on Ukraine, widening its range of targets to include more civilian and commercial infrastructure, such as passenger trains, petrol stations and communications networks.

The death toll has been steadily rising as Moscow makes increasing use of jet-powered drones which are harder to track and shoot down.

There is every expectation that Russian President Vladimir Putin will launch relentless attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as the winter approaches.

EU defence ministers will discuss the latest efforts to boost Ukraine’s stocks of air-defence systems.

Ukraine is still waiting to hear from the Trump Administration if it can develop, under licence, patriot interceptors.

Ministers will also discuss the annual readiness report which assesses what capability gaps remain across Europe’s defence system.

Member states are increasingly looking to boost cooperation and joint procurement in order to meet a higher state of defence readiness by 2030.

Ahead of the meeting, Minister McEntee said the security environment continued to evolve.

Minister McEntee added that Member States must create the structures that "will allow us to enhance resilience, strengthen preparedness and respond collectively to emerging challenges."