A planned European drone wall will not be a physical barrier but a multilayer system to detect and intercept drones, he added.

Last week's European Political Community Summit in Copenhagen was accompanied by unidentified drones disrupting air traffic at multiple airports, prompting leaders gathered at the informal meeting to discuss a drone wall, not just for Denmark but for the whole of Europe.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen noted that the chosen name of the planned wall was not important, just that it functions properly, a line Tiidemann agreed with.

"The name 'drone wall' gives the impression that we're talking about something physical, though in reality we just need to build different layers, to monitor and intercept drones," Tiidemann said, speaking to "Välisilm."

Not all heads of state agree with the solution, however, and it seems that there is still a long way to go before reaching consensus, Tiidemann noted.

"The name issue was discussed there at the European meeting to some extent, but the main topic was likely that while our eastern border has been more affected, the drone threat actually extends across Europe. The southern countries also had their own view on the matter. They talked a lot about 360-degree protection — that drone coverage or anti-drone capability should exist in all European countries, which we've also seen here in Denmark. That was one aspect. The third issue was, of course, funding," Tiidemann went on.

On this issue, some of the bloc's southern states are not enamored with the idea of its eastern flank nations getting the lion's share or even all of Europe's joint defense funding, to ensure security given the situation with neighboring Russia.
Nonetheless, that is where the greatest current threat lies, Tiidemann continued.

"Or there may be a given fear that, in the future, all defense funds will be directed only eastwards, though it is also clear that this is currently our most serious threat and that these types of incidents are becoming more frequent. The European joint project has to start somewhere, and the most logical place to begin is indeed the eastern border," he continued.

Although the EU's eastern flank faces clear border issues, heads of state maintain the decision is a complicated one, raising fears that a solution might not be attainable. According to Tiidemann, the process is being drawn out precisely because all members of the European Council must reach a consensus, while various member states have differing interests.

"Member states generally have different interests. Each one is also looking after their own interests, meaning that from this defense perspective it's important that everyone has a share in some form and that all countries are involved. I think that's perfectly reasonable in itself. We also have to keep in mind that this was only the first in-depth discussion about the drone wall, and very clear decisions are not usually expected from the European Council. In a way, it's a place to let off steam and establish initial positions. Only from there do the actual negotiations begin," Tiidemann explained.

"The European Council generally decides unanimously, meaning consensus must be found among all 27 member states, but building that consensus inevitably takes time. If we had a dictatorship, it would be easy to say, 'Let's make the decision and move on,' but in our case, it happens through lengthy negotiations. In the end, we are stronger for reaching these agreed positions," he concluded.

The Seventh European Political Community Summit had come at a time of heightened tensions following last month's Russian drone incursions into Poland and Romania and the violation of Estonian airspace by Russian fighter jets. Frederiksen said after the airspace disruption that "from a European perspective there is only one country... willing to threaten us and that is Russia, and therefore we need a very strong answer back."

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