"The initiative connects our national capacities into one comprehensive project for the European Union," Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters after talks in Warsaw with EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.
The project aims to strengthen protection against drones that could enter EU airspace and threaten civilian and military security, Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
He added that financing should come from the EU budget "in the form of grants, not loans."
Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasised the importance of drawing on Ukraine’s battlefield experience, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
"Ukraine has the best expertise right now in the world," he said. "They test drones every day. Nobody has that kind of knowledge."
Kubilius, who convened a video conference of EU defence ministers on Friday to outline initial steps, said shielding the region was his "absolute priority."
"This region faces serious threats and deserves the solidarity of the entire Union," he said.
He added that front-line countries need both detection systems to spot incoming drones and the ability to neutralise them.
Kubilius said participating states have agreed to appoint coordinators and accepted an invitation from Ukraine’s defence minister to visit Kyiv to learn from local firms developing such systems.
A roadmap for the project will be outlined at the upcoming European Council meeting, he announced.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said investing in the drone wall "is a strong political signal to Russia that we read their strategy and counteract it."
The EU's planned "drone wall" along its eastern border aims to deploy advanced drone detection and interception systems to counter threats from Russia.
The initiative is part of a wider security effort dubbed the Eastern Flank Watch, according to officials.
(gs)
Source: PAP