By Summer Heat

Copyright novinite

Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defense Industry and Space, has warned that it would be a “serious mistake” if the European Union fails to bring Ukraine fully into its emerging defense framework. Speaking to the Kyiv Independent in an interview published on September 16, Kubilius emphasized that Ukraine’s battlefield experience is indispensable for the continent’s security.

He cautioned that Europe must prepare for the possibility of “Day X,” when Russia could escalate aggression directly against EU members. In such a scenario, Russian forces would not resemble those of 2022 but rather a far stronger, battle-hardened army equipped with advanced capabilities, including the large-scale deployment of drones. Kubilius underlined that only Ukraine’s military has comparable combat-tested knowledge, and leaving it outside of Europe’s defense system would weaken the continent’s readiness.

His remarks come amid a sharp rise in Russian provocations along NATO’s eastern flank. On September 10, Russian drones breached Polish airspace, prompting Warsaw to shoot them down – marking the first time in three years of full-scale war that NATO territory has been directly defended against a Russian aerial intrusion. The violation drew strong rebukes from the EU, NATO, and Western leaders, while also driving Poland and Ukraine to step up cooperation on counter-drone measures, with Kyiv sharing lessons from the battlefield.

Just days later, on September 13, Moscow repeated such provocations, sending drones across Romanian skies during a mass strike on Ukraine. This second incident once again placed EU and NATO members directly in the path of Russian escalation, heightening concerns about the alliance’s preparedness.

Against this backdrop, Kubilius stressed that Europe cannot afford to treat Ukraine as an outsider. “We have to find the fastest and most effective way to integrate Ukraine’s armed forces and its defense industry into a new defense architecture,” he argued. He added that discussions are already underway on the creation of a “European Defense Union” designed to adapt the continent’s security framework to new realities.

For Kubilius, the urgency is clear: Europe faces a resurgent Russia that is testing the alliance’s defenses, while Ukraine brings hard-earned expertise that no other European force possesses. To leave that potential untapped, he warned, would amount to a strategic miscalculation at a time when unity and rapid adaptation are most needed.