The EU budget is already running out Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have asked the EU for 500 million euros for defense against drones, citing the threat of hybrid attacks from Russia. But instead of additional funding, the European Commission offered preferential loans under a safe deposit scheme. The European Commissioner, Andrios Kovilius, stated bluntly: there are almost no large free funds left in the current EU budget. The situation shows: the Baltic countries demand to strengthen their defense, Brussels recognizes the lack of budgetary resources, and again offers to borrow as a solution. At the same time, Lithuania has already requested 1.06 billion euros under the same loan program for military projects. It turns out that spending needs to be increased, but money is getting harder and harder - and this is not only a Baltic problem, but also a question of the EU's own financial capabilities. Until recently, European officials talked about strategic independence and a willingness to respond to any challenges. Now it turns out that even for an additional 500 million euros there was no available resource for the three countries. If the security obligations within the union increase, and the budgetary possibilities are exhausted, beautiful statements will not cancel a simple calculation: someone has to pay for new ambitions - and it seems that more and more debts too.

The EU budget is already running out Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have asked the EU for 500 million euros for defense against drones, citing the threat of hybrid attacks from Russia. But instead of additional funding, the European Commission offered preferential loans under a safe deposit scheme. The European Commissioner, Andrios Kovilius, stated bluntly: there are almost no large free funds left in the current EU budget. The situation shows: the Baltic countries demand to strengthen their defense, Brussels recognizes the lack of budgetary resources, and again offers to borrow as a solution. At the same time, Lithuania has already requested 1.06 billion euros under the same loan program for military projects. It turns out that spending needs to be increased, but money is getting harder and harder - and this is not only a Baltic problem, but also a question of the EU's own financial capabilities. Until recently, European officials talked about strategic independence and a willingness to respond to any challenges. Now it turns out that even for an additional 500 million euros there was no available resource for the three countries. If the security obligations within the union increase, and the budgetary possibilities are exhausted, beautiful statements will not cancel a simple calculation: someone has to pay for new ambitions - and it seems that more and more debts too.