Good morning from Brussels. As NATO foreign ministers convene in Helsingborg, Sweden, for a two-day meeting, the alliance confronts twin pressures: a series of drone incursions along Europe's eastern flank and a fundamental shift in US commitment to European security. The Baltics, in particular, are grappling with at least six reported or suspected drone breaches since the start of May, raising tensions in capitals from Vilnius to Tallinn.
On Wednesday morning, Vilnius was gripped by a security scare when reports of a potential drone incursion prompted the closure of the city's airport, the evacuation of the Lithuanian parliament, and the relocation of President Gitanas Nausėda and Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė to shelters. The alert lasted roughly an hour. Lithuania’s Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas later told Europe Today that there was "no panic" and that the government aims to reassure citizens through increased defence spending and investments.
The incidents underscore a broader anxiety along NATO's eastern border, where Russia's war in Ukraine has heightened fears of hybrid attacks. For months, the European Union, drawing on intelligence from national security services, has warned that foreign actors could strike the continent by 2030. In response, the EU executive has allocated €800 billion to bolster defences and fortify Europe's 3,500-kilometre land border along the east. Yet the real challenge is not merely building stronger defences but staying ahead of a Kremlin that thrives on unpredictability. Europe can spend billions hardening its borders, but Moscow only needs to expose one weak seam to create panic and political pressure.
US Commitment Wavers
Outside Brussels, the NATO ministerial in Helsingborg is dominated by news that the US is set to announce fundamental changes to its participation in the alliance's force posture and wider European security. The Pentagon confirmed the shift, with details expected on Friday. A NATO source told Euronews that the message is clear: the US is no longer a guarantor of European security, even in times of war. This comes amid the ongoing US-Israel conflict in Iran, which is rapidly depleting stockpiles of crucial military weapons, potentially affecting supplies to Ukraine as attrition rates strain production.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte played down the announcement, noting that the Trump administration had long signalled a retreat from European security architecture under the "America First" doctrine. "This has been expected," he told journalists in a pre-ministerial press conference on Wednesday. Nevertheless, the reduction in US commitment poses additional challenges for NATO allies near Russia, especially in light of the recent drone incursions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded to Wednesday's incursion by writing on social media platform X that a threat against one is an attack on all, and "Europe will respond with unity and strength." Whether this is enough to keep Moscow at bay remains an open question.
EU Enlargement Push
In a separate development, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for a "new dynamic" in the pace and style of negotiations regarding Ukraine and Moldova's bids to join the European Union. In a letter sent to EU heavyweights including Commission President von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, Merz wrote: "Enlargement of the European Union is a geopolitical necessity. However, the enlargement process takes much too long." Our journalists will dissect this story later today.
Meanwhile, European governments have condemned Israel's treatment of activists arrested from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. A video posted by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir showed activists bound and forced to kneel. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for the immediate release of any detained Italian citizens and demanded an apology, stating: "It is intolerable that these protesters, among whom there are many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment, which violates human dignity." France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also slammed the video and requested Israel’s ambassador to France be summoned.
In a sign of shifting diplomatic winds, the new Hungarian government has signalled its readiness to sanction Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia's Orthodox Church, and other individuals whom former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had protected. This move could pave the way for broader EU consensus on sanctions.
For more on the NATO summit, see our report on NATO Ministers Confront US Security Withdrawal in Sweden Summit. And as the Iran war strains alliance munitions, NATO Military Chiefs Convene to address the fallout.
