The leaders of the eight eastern European Union (EU) countries closest to Russia warned on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) that Moscow represents the “most significant, direct and sustained” threat to European security and called for urgent and coordinated action to strengthen the continent’s defenses.
After meeting in Helsinki at the first Eastern Flank Summit, the prime ministers of Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Bulgaria, as well as the presidents of Lithuania and Romania, signed a joint statement committing to increasing military spending, strengthening the EU and NATO’s eastern flank and maintaining support for Ukraine.
“Russia poses a threat to all of Europe today, tomorrow and in the foreseeable future. That is why we are strengthening our cooperation,” Finnish Prime Minister and summit host Petteri Orpo said at a joint press conference.
According to Orpo, the eight countries share a strong desire to strengthen Europe’s common security and defense, starting with the eastern flank, which is why they agreed at the summit to promote the European Eastern Flank Watch initiative led by Finland and Poland.
This initiative, along with the anti-drone wall and the European space shield, is one of the priority projects of the defense roadmap presented by the European Commission in October.
The joint statement warns that although the EU’s eastern flank is at the forefront, the Russian threat affects the entire continent and they therefore consider a joint response and greater coordination with NATO necessary.
“Eastern flank, shared responsibility”
“By coming together at the highest political level, we send a clear and unequivocal message: Europe’s eastern flank is a shared responsibility and must be defended with urgency, leadership and determination,” the document says.
For this reason, the eight signatory states called for the support of the entire EU in order to prioritize improving their military capabilities and countering immediate threats.
These capabilities would include ground combat, drone defense systems, air and missile defense, border and critical infrastructure protection, and military mobility.
The declaration places particular emphasis on strengthening the European defense industry and calls for long-term investments, joint purchases and greater use of EU financial instruments, including the European Investment Bank (EIB), to support companies in the sector.
With regard to national defense, the eight leaders committed to implementing as quickly as possible the decisions taken at the European Council and the last NATO summit, including increasing total defense spending to 5% of GDP.
At the same time, they stressed that the Atlantic Alliance remains the basis of European collective defense and that EU efforts to improve security on the continent must be complementary and coordinated to avoid duplication and ensure efficient use of resources.
gs (efe, reuters)
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