Andrius Kubilius: Europe Needs To Increase Air Defense And Missile Production

• 6.03.2026, 13:44

The European Commissioner for Defense and Space has arrived in Poland to ask for missiles for Ukraine.

Andrius Kubilius held a press conference in Warsaw together with Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, reports European Pravda.

"I announced this 'missile tour' a month ago ... Why did we start specifically with Poland, with Warsaw? Poland is a key state with regard to the future of European defense, the future of the European defense industry and for the production of missiles in Europe," Kubilius said.

He added that the EU is currently preparing a loan to support Ukraine, of which 60 billion euros in 2026-27 will go specifically to support Ukrainian defense.

"Ukraine has very clear strategic priorities regarding what needs to be financed with this loan: missiles, drones and 155 mm long-range ammunition. Based on these three main priorities, everything looks like missiles are really the most difficult priority right now," the European Commissioner told us.

Kubilius reminded that during 2025 Ukraine has been subjected to almost 2,000 missile attacks by Russia, 900 of them by ballistic missiles, which are difficult to destroy.

The U.S. Patriot system is effective against ballistic attacks.

"Ukrainians only for the winter season, for a four-month period, needed about 700 missiles for Patriot, PAC-2, PAC-3 missiles. This is the amount that American manufacturers are capable of producing in one year," he stated.

He said this means that Ukraine needs 2,000 or more missiles annually.

"Now it is quite clear that after the Iranian crisis.... it has become even more urgent for us in Europe to increase the production of air defense and anti-ballistic missiles," the European Commissioner summarized.