The Eastern flank and the drone wall – linking the Baltics, Germany and Ukraine
“Freedom and peace are not a permanent state – they must be defended, strengthened and renewed every day.”
German President Steinmeier during his
recent visit to Tallinn in October 2025
Europe is living through a historic transformation. The war in Ukraine and the race in defence technology have forced a rethinking of Europe’s security architecture. Nowhere is this more visible than in the Baltic region, where deterrence, innovation and alliance cohesion are reshaping the political and economic landscape at breathtaking speed.
Across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, defence has become a catalyst for renewal. The Baltic Defence Line, stretching from Narva to Kaliningrad, symbolises a region that acts rather than waits. The permanent German brigade in Lithuania anchors NATO’s Eastern flank. Yet the story unfolding in the Baltics is about more than deployment – it is about how innovation, partnerships and shared responsibility define the future of European defence. A landmark step is the Drone Coalition, jointly led by the United Kingdom and Latvia, with Baltic and European partners. It coordinates Europe’s drone production and training, drawing lessons from Ukraine’s frontline. Latvia’s co-leadership marks a strategic elevation of the Baltic voice within NATO and the EU. The idea of a Drone Wall, prioritised by the Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, embodies ambition and cooperation. Experts note that an “unbreachable wall” cannot exist and that Europe needs a layered, networked defence integrating air, cyber and electronic warfare. This new paradigm will take centre stage at the German–Baltic–Ukrainian Defence Conference in Vilnius on 25 November 2025, hosted by the AHK Baltic States, with defence ministers from Estonia, Lithuania, and delegations from Germany and Ukraine. Modern defence extends beyond weapons. It includes infrastructure and identity – from Rail Baltica’s dualuse connectivity to the Latvian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, showing how security reshapes space and culture. Each initiative strengthens Europe’s resilience, ensuring that deterrence and openness can coexist. In Vilnius this November, we will continue building bridges between North and South, East and West, strategy and technology. Because Europe’s freedom and peace are not inherited – they are created by those who act together.
Enjoy your read!
Florian Schröder
Chief Executive Officer, AHK Baltic States
