EU Ministers Meet in Ireland to Bolster Ukraine Air Defences

European Union defence and foreign ministers convened in County Wicklow, Ireland, on September 1, 2026, for a two-day meeting focused on bolstering Ukraine's air defences and addressing growing concerns over Russian destabilisation efforts across the continent. The gathering, held under Ireland's presidency of the EU Council, comes as Moscow intensifies its aerial bombardment of Ukraine, exploiting shortages in Western-supplied interceptor missiles. Ukraine's acting defence minister, Yevgeniy Khmara, joined the discussions, which were chaired by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.