Baltic defence summit launches in Vilnius to chart Europe's security roadmap
Leaders from politics, the military and defence industry gathered in Vilnius for a two-day conference on Baltic security and lessons from Ukraine's war.
From Monday, Vilnius hosted a two-day gathering of politicians, senior military officers and industry executives to examine Baltic defence strategies. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas inaugurated the event, and European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius called for a cohesive European defence shield, citing Ukraine's experience. The agenda covers strengthening European air defence, closing NATO capability gaps, and integrating artificial intelligence and drone technologies on the battlefield.
Ukrainian Defence Ministry representatives will present practical lessons, complemented by panels on societal resilience, the defence industry's production capacity, nuclear deterrence and military intelligence. Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys highlighted the value of Ukrainian expertise for pre-crisis preparedness. Attendees also include analysts from the Institute for the Study of War, the Royal United Services Institute and the European Space Agency.
Why it matters
The summit seeks to shape Europe's collective defence posture amid heightened security threats from Russia.
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