In the shadow of the Ukraine war and Russia's threat, Sweden and other EU countries bordering Russia are launching a new defense initiative. Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina says the cooperation will be taken to the next level. The initiative was discussed at a summit in Helsinki with eight countries.
On Tuesday, the first meeting of what is called the Eastern Flank Summit took place, a forum for EU countries near Russia along the union's eastern flank. Eight countries participated in Helsinki, where the EU Commission has designated the initiative as a flagship project. The aim is to strengthen defense capabilities in EU countries as a complement to NATO and national military efforts.
Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the initiative as a way to simplify and improve cooperation, especially for the eastern flank. "That is, not what NATO does, not what we do ourselves in our military defenses," he told TT and other media in the Finnish capital. "But things that can simplify and improve, not least for the eastern flank."
Kristersson emphasized the strong sense of solidarity with neighboring countries near Russia: "We feel a strong sense of community with all the countries that are very close to Russia. And if we can contribute to this, that's good." Staff from Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo signaled that more countries are welcome to join, including Germany and Norway, even though Norway is not an EU member but borders Russia.
The initiative comes amid a tense security situation marked by the war in Ukraine, aiming to elevate Eastern Europe's defense without overlapping existing alliances.
