Defense of Europe's eastern flank an 'immediate' priority, say EU leaders

AFP | 2025-12-18

Defending Europe's eastern flank should be an "immediate" priority for the European Union in the face of the threat posed by Russia, eight EU leaders meeting in Helsinki said December 16.

"Russia remains a threat today, tomorrow and in the foreseeable future for the whole of Europe," Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told reporters following the first Eastern Flank Summit gathering the leaders of Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Sweden.

"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and its repercussions constitute a profound and enduring threat to European security and stability," a final declaration signed by the leaders stated.

"The situation calls for an immediate prioritization of the EU's eastern flank through a coordinated and multi-domain operational approach," it said.

That includes "ground combat capabilities, drone defense, air and missile defense, border and critical infrastructure protection, military mobility and counter mobility", they said.

Europe's Eastern Flank is a common responsibility and "must be defended with urgency, leadership and resolve," they said.

The efforts should be coordinated with NATO, they added.

"The EU can play an important role in supporting member states' individual efforts to strengthen their defense capabilities by defining financing, by simplifying regulations and strengthening military mobility," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said.

"The EU and NATO have obviously different important but very complementary roles in relation to the eastern flank."

Ukraine peace

The leaders' declaration comes as Ukraine, backed by European countries, tries to reach a compromise with the United States on a proposal to end the war.

European leaders on December 15 proposed a European-led "multinational force" with US support to enforce a potential peace deal in Ukraine, according to a joint statement.

The force would be part of "robust security guarantees" for Ukraine from the United States and European powers aimed at guaranteeing that Russia would not violate an agreement to end the war.

The statement -- whose signatories included the leaders of Britain, France and Germany -- was released as European leaders gathered with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin.

The statement also outlined what it said were other points of agreement between a dozen European leaders and US officials in talks over the outlines of a peace proposal.

Ukraine's military should continue receiving extensive support, and maintain a peacetime strength of 800,000 troops, the statement said.

Peace would also be maintained by a "US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism" that would identify violations and "provide early warning of any future attack", the statement said.

Countries should also make a "legally binding commitment, subject to national procedures, to take measures to restore peace and security in the case of a future armed attack".

The statement was also signed by the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden, as well as the heads of the European Council and the European Commission.