European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced today (Monday) the European Council’s intention to present a roadmap to improve its defense posture as soon as possible and over the next five years.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, she said: “We need to improve our defense posture quickly and broadly,” adding that a roadmap for the next five years will be presented during the informal European Council meeting scheduled for next October, addressing gaps in investment and defense capabilities and how to fill them.

Von der Leyen affirmed Europe’s solidarity with Lithuania, stressing: “Europe needs a strong Lithuania to protect our borders and peoples,” noting that cohesion policy will remain at the heart of the EU budget, and that support for border security and strong livelihoods will continue.

The European Commission President had visited Bulgaria, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland, all sharing borders with Russia or Belarus, and is scheduled to visit Romania today.

Politico magazine reported that von der Leyen’s visit to Bulgaria’s largest state-owned arms manufacturer sparked protests from nationalist parties and internal tensions over the country’s growing role as a weapons production hub.

Von der Leyen told the British Financial Times that European capitals are working on very detailed plans to deploy multinational forces in Ukraine as part of security guarantees for the post-war phase, which will be fully supported by US capabilities, explaining that there is a “clear roadmap” for potential deployments.

According to the newspaper, European leaders are scheduled to meet in Paris next Thursday, at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, to continue high-level discussions.