On Tuesday, a summit of the EU's eastern flank countries was held in Helsinki – for the first time in this formula – with the participation of representatives of Poland, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania and Bulgaria. Poland was represented by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
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At a joint press conference, the head of the Polish government emphasized that Europe has finally started to perceive the protection of the eastern border as a common task, and not only a problem of border states.
“I think we can announce today with satisfaction that Europe has finally understood that protecting its eastern border is our common responsibility. It is not just the responsibility of Poland, Finland or Lithuania. It is a common European task and a common European responsibility.” – said Donald Tusk.
The Prime Minister also emphasized that Poland makes a significant contribution to the security of the entire Union by protecting its external border with Russia and Belarus using available EU instruments.
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EU Eastern Flank Guard as a joint project
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announced the start of work on the creation of the EU's Eastern Flank Guard. As he emphasized, the initiative is to be open and may cover all EU Member States.
“I am pleased to announce that Finland is ready to take on the role of a leading country, together with Poland and other countries on the EU's eastern flank, forming our own guard” — Orpo stated.
The leaders of the countries participating in the meeting adopted the Joint Declaration of the EU Eastern Flank Summit, in which they committed to further develop a common concept of defending the eastern border. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda emphasized that the challenges related to the security of the eastern flank should be reflected in the EU's financial plans, including the multiannual EU budget.
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Helsinki Declaration: an urgent priority for the eastern flank
The adopted declaration emphasized that Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine poses a long-term threat to Europe's security and stability. Countries recognized that the current situation requires immediate prioritization of the EU's eastern flank as part of a coordinated, multi-dimensional operational approach.
“The situation requires immediate prioritization of the EU's eastern flank as part of a coordinated, multidimensional operational approach,” the document states.
The declaration includes, among others: development of land combat capabilities, defense against drones, air and anti-missile defense, border protection and critical infrastructure, as well as military mobility. It was also emphasized that the protection of the EU's external border cannot be based on single solutions, but requires a coherent and credible framework of action.
“By uniting at the highest political level, we are sending a clear and unambiguous signal: Europe's eastern flank is a shared responsibility that requires urgent defense, leadership and determination.” — noted in the declaration.
The countries participating in the summit also declared further support for European defense projects and positively assessed the greater emphasis on security and defense in the next multi-annual budget of the European Union.
