EU eastern flank states pledge deeper defense cooperation against Russia

ISTANBUL

Leaders from eight EU and NATO countries on Europe’s eastern flank warned on Tuesday that Russia poses the “most significant, direct and long-term threat” to their security, pledging stronger defense coordination, higher military spending, and closer EU-NATO cooperation.

In a joint declaration signed at the Eastern Flank Summit in Helsinki, the leaders of Sweden, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Bulgaria said Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine “constitute(s) a profound and enduring threat to European security and stability.”

“Russia’s strategic goals remain unchanged: to create a buffer zone stretching from the Arctic region through the Baltic and Black Seas to the Mediterranean,” the declaration said, stressing that while the eastern flank is “at the forefront of this threat,” it affects “the entire European continent,” requiring “urgent and coordinated action.”

The leaders warned that Russia’s hybrid activities are intensifying, saying: “Russia’s complex hybrid operations and acts of sabotage against Europe are increasing,” and accusing Moscow of showing “recklessness and disregard for the safety and security of others.”

They said attempts to destabilize European societies “must be viewed as part of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine,” pointing to “GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) interference, airspace violations and drone incursions posing threats to critical infrastructure,” alongside disinformation campaigns and risks linked to Russia’s shadow fleet.

Reaffirming support for Kyiv, the leaders said: “We stand firmly with Ukraine in its efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace,” adding that they remain committed to increasing support for Ukraine “while ramping up pressure on Russia.”

They also pledged closer cooperation with countries targeted by Russian hybrid activities, stressing that “their security contributes to our own,” with particular reference to Moldova.

The declaration welcomed recent EU and NATO decisions to reinforce deterrence and defense, including commitments to raise defense spending.

These decisions, including pledges to increase defense expenditure to 5% of GDP, “mark a strategic turning point for European defence and must be implemented without delay,” it said.

Stressing NATO’s central role, the statement said: “NATO forms the foundation for the collective defence of its Allies,” while EU defense efforts are “complementary.”

It underlined that “complementarity between NATO and the EU is not optional, it is a strategic imperative.”

Concluding, the leaders said they were sending a “clear and unequivocal message” that “Europe’s Eastern Flank is a common responsibility and must be defended with urgency, leadership and resolve,” warning that “the security environment has changed irreversibly."