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Europe Today: NATO chief Mark Rutte joins Euronews' Defence and Space Summit in Brussels
Euronews hosts its biggest-ever news event, the Defence & Space Summit in Brussels, with NATO chief Mark Rutte among the guests. Meanwhile, Ukraine races to build interceptor drones against Russia's jet-powered strikes, and Estonia blames Russia for an arson attack on a defence firm.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/09/30/europe-today-nato-chief-mark-rutte-joins-euronews-defence-and-space-summit-in-brussels
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Euronews hosts its biggest-ever news event, the Defence & Space Summit in Brussels, with NATO chief Mark Rutte among the guests. Meanwhile, Ukraine races to build interceptor drones against Russia's jet-powered strikes, and Estonia blames Russia for an arson attack on a defence firm.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/09/30/europe-today-nato-chief-mark-rutte-joins-euronews-defence-and-space-summit-in-brussels
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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00:14Good morning, it's Wednesday, September the 30th. You're watching Euronews and this is Europe Today.
00:22Coming up. Today, Euronews is hosting its biggest news event ever. The Defence and Space Summit 2026 in Brussels is
00:31bringing together policy makers, industry executives, security experts and innovators to discuss the future of European defence.
00:40From the NATO Secretary General to EU Commissioners, from Defence Ministers to Ambassadors to CEOs, the day-long conference will
00:48bring exclusive insights on one of the defining topics of our time. We'll have the latest for you.
00:53Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to boost the army by more than 15,000 troops in the
01:01fourth such order this year. Putin previously signed decrees boosting the army's size in March, June and July.
01:08The combined increase since March amounts to almost 48,000 soldiers. Russia's President did not state the reason for the
01:16decision, but it has been taken against the backdrop of rising losses in Moscow's full-scale war in Ukraine.
01:23And a British investigation into a suspected bomb plot at an airbase used by the United States was mired in
01:31confusion yesterday, after media reported no explosives were detected in the vehicle seized nearby.
01:38That East fears that an attack had been foiled, but left many questions unanswered.
01:45As armed guards maintained a cordon around the nearby village, Washington questioned the decision to release on bail five men
01:53arrested near the Royal Air Force Fairfoot base in southwest England.
01:58Welcome to the programme, I'm Stefan Grobe.
02:01With Europe facing escalating hybrid threats and Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, governments across the continent are racing to rebuild
02:10their armies and strengthen their defences.
02:13Today, Euronews brings together the people shaping the defence of tomorrow, from procurement and intelligence to crisis response and military
02:22readiness, at our Defence and Space Summit here in Brussels.
02:26NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is among the senior leaders joining us, alongside defence ministers, military commanders and industry chiefs.
02:35Our Europe editor Maria Taddeo is joining us now and she'll be sitting down with Rutte later today.
02:42Good morning, Maria. So, European defence, what are the big themes we're looking out for here?
02:50Yes, good morning, Stefan. And it is very much about security and it is very much about defence.
02:55We're seeing certainly in this continent an active war, the war in Ukraine in a sharp escalation since August, that
03:03ceasefire nowhere to be seen.
03:05That is having big security repercussions for the rest of the European Union.
03:10Obviously, it also impacts NATO supporting Ukraine in that war, but that has also complicated the picture, as you alluded
03:17to, with the perception of escalating,
03:19and it's not just a perception, of course, but escalating hybrid warfare and hybrid attacks from Russia on the eastern
03:25flank.
03:26And certainly, there has been a sense over the past three weeks that this security picture, not just for Ukraine,
03:32but also for the rest of the European global security, has deteriorated.
03:36That is one of the questions that we'll put to our guests.
03:40The other big element to this conference really is about the defence industry, the contracts and the money, because there
03:46is money to be spent.
03:48And you've seen it in some of the countries, including like yours, major money putting forward to rebuilt armies in
03:54Europe.
03:54But when is this going to happen? What is the timeline?
03:57And also, how can you fix some of the delays and the bottlenecks when it comes to the procurement?
04:02And there's another fundamental question, which really is, who do you buy from?
04:07Is this a made in Europe story or do you still rely on the US at this stage?
04:11There's another big location or dislocation, I should note, and that is President Trump pushing to a different strategy when
04:17it comes to NATO, that NATO 3.0, which sends a clear picture.
04:20Going forward, the Europeans need to take care of their security and they will have to provide for their defence.
04:27Maria, you will be speaking with Mark Rutte. What do we expect?
04:34Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, the head of NATO at a difficult time because there is, of course, an
04:40active war in Europe, but there is a second one in the Middle East.
04:43That is a war in Iran having major repercussions in the energy market.
04:48Mark Rutte is also a man who has a difficult job at a difficult time.
04:52He needs to keep the alliance engaged.
04:54We've seen the Secretary General really pushing to take those wishes from President Trump to see more money spent in
05:00the alliance come to fruition at the same time he needs.
05:04And that is a big challenge to his job to keep the US aligned and to keep the US as
05:10an active participant in the security alliance that is NATO.
05:13Because, Stefan, let's be honest, if there is a ceasefire, both in Iran and in Ukraine, it is President Trump
05:20sitting around the table who is going to have, ultimately, a final say.
05:24So this is a man who is leading an alliance at a fragile moment, but also an alliance where you
05:29see money really come to fruition.
05:31You see now countries stepping up and you see those new defence targets and goals.
05:35Some of the questions, of course, I will put to Mark Rutte in this event.
05:38All right.
05:40Our Europe editor, Maria Tadeo, thank you very much.
05:44Ukraine is racing to scale up a new generation of interceptor drones as Russia increasingly deploys jet-powered drones in
05:52its attacks.
05:54Rio News gained exclusive access to an air defence position protecting the Kyiv region
05:58and spoke exclusively to the head of Ukraine's presidential office, Kirillou Budanov, about the technology being developed to counter the
06:07new threat.
06:07Our correspondent, Sasha Vakulina, joins us now from Kyiv.
06:12Good morning, Sasha.
06:13So, what is the latest?
06:15What can you tell us?
06:21Another rather sleepless night here in the capital with the air defence working non-stop.
06:27Kyiv residents woke up by around 3 a.m. local time with at least 10 explosions as Ukrainian air defence
06:34were intercepting the incoming ballistic missiles on top of the endless drone attacks.
06:39Now, Ukraine is currently working on the technology to intercept Russia's new jet-powered drones.
06:46And I spoke exclusively to Kirillou Budanov, the head of the office of the president of Ukraine, who told me
06:51the technology is already being implemented.
06:53Moreover, it is being tested at the battlefield.
06:55And he said that the challenge now is to be able to scale up the production of these interceptors.
07:01But he is confident that it will be possible to do before the cold comes here, before the winter in
07:08Ukraine.
07:09And he also told Uranus confirmed that the countries who have already signed the drone deals with Ukraine, who are
07:15negotiating those drone deals with Kyiv, will have access to these new interceptors capable of stopping Russia's jet-powered drones.
07:26This isn't about any specific product. In principle, it's about cooperation between countries on similar products, so to speak.
07:34So Ukraine's latest technologies, which are currently being scaled up, including interceptors for jet-powered drones, could also become part
07:41of agreements with the European countries?
07:43Anyone who has made such agreements with us has the right to continue negotiations on specific products.
07:49Euronews was also given exclusive access to some of the air defense troops working in the Kyiv region to see
07:57what the changing threat means for them, for those people who are indeed in charge of protecting the skies.
08:03Now, they told us that when a jet-powered drone is incoming, there are about 10 seconds before it can
08:08reach Kyiv.
08:09And this is more or less the time that they also have to be able and to prepare to shoot
08:13it down between 10 to 15 seconds.
08:16And of course, this intensity is taking its toll on the cruise as well.
08:20Some of these troops I talked to in Kyiv and in the region of the capital told me that over
08:27the past couple of days or even weeks,
08:29they could only do about an hour and an hour and a half of sleep.
08:33We also talked to Pavlo Tsugunov, who is aircraft battery commander, and he described the pressure on his crews under
08:41why these new jet-powered drones are so difficult for some of the existing systems to intercept and what exactly
08:48the troops are doing to do that nevertheless.
08:56First of all, there is this constant pressure. The enemy is constantly putting both those defending the skies and civilians
09:02under pressure.
09:06In my view, this is a tactic aimed at intimidating the civilian population. Since the Russians are not currently making
09:13progress in direct combat on the front,
09:15they are trying to frighten the population into withdrawing its support from the military and ultimately to force the military
09:22to accept capitulation.
09:23To support the army and to support the military.
09:32Sasha Vakulina reporting from Kyiv. As ever, thank you very much.
09:37An important element in Russia's war machine is Belarus, a neighboring country with pariah status in Europe.
09:45Conversely, Alexander Lukashenko's regime benefits from Moscow support.
09:50But unlike in Russia, there is a strong pro-democracy movement in Belarus that is preparing in exile for the
09:57end of the dictatorship in Minsk.
09:59The opposition leader is Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who works tirelessly for her country's freedom, as she did yesterday at the European
10:07Parliament in Brussels.
10:09I had the opportunity to speak with her about her take on the likelihood of the war in Ukraine spilling
10:15over into the EU.
10:17Look, I don't know what the plans of Russia and Lukashenko's regime are, but we are seeing what's happening in
10:27Belarus, for example,
10:28how regime is building new infrastructure that is not supposed to be there if a country is not like preparing
10:35for escalation or provocation.
10:37So, I think that Europe has to be aware of what might happen, you know, and experts say about the
10:46Suvalki gap, about threats to Lithuania, Latvia, Poland.
10:51And we already see these hybrid attacks on these countries. We see drones flying over their territories.
10:58We see these balloons over Lithuania that interrupts airspace. We saw already attacks on trains near Polish borders.
11:09So, we see how, like, Russia is trying to test how far it will go until there will be reaction.
11:16But I'm absolutely sure that if such, like, physical attacks will take place, they most certainly will use Belarusian territory
11:26while Lukashenko is there, who is serving to Russia's interests.
11:29So, that's why, you know, I encourage our European partners that please help Belarusians to get Belarus out of Russia's
11:38claws, to make Belarus reliable partner and not the source of constant threat,
11:43because these attacks, you know, on NATO alliance, it might happen at any moment.
11:49How would you describe Lukashenko's role in the current conflict?
11:56Lukashenko is the puppet of Putin's regime. He's ready to sell independence, sovereignty of Belarus just in exchange of political
12:07and economic support.
12:08He wants personally survive as politician. And in 2020 Putin saved him, saved Lukashenko, and now Lukashenko is paying his
12:16debts.
12:17He's on the leash, and the issue is how long is the leash. Putin can shorten it or make it
12:23longer.
12:23But it's illusion that we can, like, drag Lukashenko from Putin.
12:30They have this symbiotic relationship, they need each other, they use each other.
12:34And that's why I don't think that Lukashenko can be re-educated or that he can turn his eyes to
12:45Europe.
12:45Would you say that the moment Putin's reign comes to an end, that would also be the end of Lukashenko's
12:56regime in Minsk?
12:57Look, I rather often hear from politicians that, oh, until something changes will come to Russia, nothing will change in
13:05Belarus.
13:05But I'm absolutely confident that changes in Russia can start from the changes in Belarus.
13:11Because in Belarus society is more consolidated.
13:16You know, we know that we voted against Lukashenko in 2020, and these anti-regime moods, they are still there,
13:23despite repressions, despite political prisoners.
13:27And, you know, it's much easier, you know, to help Belarusians to win our country back than to work with
13:35Russia and persuade all the Russians that they have to stop their imperial ambitions.
13:40You know, the contexts are different in Belarus and Russia.
13:43Recently, NATO shot down a drone over Lithuania.
13:48Is that a sufficiently strong message to Moscow?
13:53And how should NATO react if this happens again?
13:57You know, when this drone fell down, there was almost no reaction from NATO alliance.
14:02Like, drone didn't kill anybody, like maybe it's accidental.
14:05The next drone might harm somebody.
14:09So, you know, Russia also watches what will be the reaction from the Western countries.
14:14There is no reaction, okay, they can go further and further, as I said, test the borders.
14:20You know, and of course, among population, you know, these narratives intensifying that the war can start, there might be
14:29attacks on Lithuania.
14:30And Lithuanian people, for example, they are not sure that the NATO alliance, you know, other countries will come to
14:35rescue them.
14:36We have to take example from Ukraine, you know, because before it was only attacked by Russia, now it is
14:44attacking back.
14:45I'm not, like, encouraging Europe to attack back immediately, but just to be prepared for possible counterattack, you know, if
14:52this happens, Europe has to be ready for this.
14:55I have one more, and your answer can be short. If you had one message to European leaders about the
15:04Russian-Belorussian drone threat, what would it be?
15:13Don't panic, but be prepared.
15:19That was Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya.
15:23Let's return to the Euronews Defense Summit happening this morning here in Brussels.
15:29The transatlantic partnership is under pressure like never before as a result of the second Trump administration's transactional America First
15:37policies,
15:38which, among other things, includes a major shift away from the U.S. role in European security.
15:43All of this while the continent grapples with the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, soon to be marking five years.
15:51At the summit today, we'll speak exclusively to U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whittaker.
15:56I'm joined now from there by our NATO correspondent, Shona Murray.
16:01Good morning, Shona. Good to see you.
16:03What do you hope to hear from Ambassador Whittaker about the role of the U.S. in European security?
16:11Well, good morning, Stefan. Indeed, we knew that the United States has moved significantly from its traditional role as guarantor
16:18of European security
16:19to a situation where its withdrawing capabilities, conventional capabilities,
16:23and also in the next few months will announce a significant reduction in troops all across NATO territory.
16:29Now, this has been a priority for the Trump administration.
16:31It was well flagged. But the problem for Europe is that it's happening.
16:35Well, there's Russian aggression in Ukraine and escalating Russian aggression all across NATO territory with these increased hybrid attacks.
16:42So we'll be asking the ambassador a bit about this and whether he believes this is not just about intimidating
16:47countries to stop supporting Ukraine,
16:49but also about testing NATO unity, which is a lot of secret services across Europe are saying it is.
16:55So the question is, will the United States be there for NATO if this were to happen?
17:00Other questions are very important around the scarcity of important patriotic interceptors that are very...
17:06Patriot systems that are very important for Ukraine in intercepting ballistic missiles.
17:10And overall, a conversation about NATO relations with Donald Trump and his NATO allies, given the conflict and the confrontation
17:18over the war in Iran.
17:20So all of that coming up this morning, Stefan.
17:23Also, Shona, yesterday, the Estonian government formally attributed responsibility to Russia for an attack on a defense company, the second
17:32of its kind.
17:33Undoubtedly, this will feature as part of today's summit. Tell us what happened.
17:40Well, this situation overall will very much dominate today because we are seeing Russia being less risk averse when it
17:47comes to these attacks all across NATO territory
17:50and the fact that they're much more violent and kinetic.
17:53And the one in Estonia was very similar to that in Leipzig Airport in Germany in August, where this was
17:58a sabotage, an arson attack on a robotics defense company in Tallinn in mid-August.
18:04The Estonians came out yesterday and said, according to their secret services, that they can confirm with certainty, conclude with
18:11certainty that the arson attack was an act of sabotage ordered by the special services of the Russian Federation.
18:17The second time a NATO country has said that this is definitely Russia, which means that countries themselves are becoming
18:24much more confrontational with the Kremlin.
18:26Now, what does this mean? It means that it's an escalation in tensions, but that doesn't mean that they want
18:32to go to war per se, but certainly relations are getting that much more tense.
18:36Stefan?
18:38All right, Shona Murray there for us. Thank you very much for that update.
18:42And that does it for us today. Make sure you follow our Defense Summit on TV and online.
18:47Thank you for watching. I'm Stefan Grobe and I see you tomorrow.
19:43I'll see you tomorrow.