EU leaders to convene in Helsinki for first Eastern Flank Summit focused on security

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has invited the leaders of seven EU member states to the Eastern Flank Summit in Helsinki on December 16, a first-of-its-kind meeting aimed at addressing security threats and strengthening defence readiness along Europe’s eastern border.

The one-day summit will bring together Prime Ministers Ulf Kristersson (Sweden), Kristen Michal (Estonia), Evika Siliņa (Latvia), Donald Tusk (Poland), and Rossen Jeliazkov (Bulgaria), as well as Presidents Nicușor Dan (Romania) and Gitanas Nausėda (Lithuania), Caliber.Az reports, citing the Finnish government.

According to Prime Minister Orpo, the summit will provide an excellent platform for in-depth discussions on security threats and allow Eastern European countries to further enhance cooperation on defence and border management.

“Countries that share a border with Russia face common security challenges. We have recently seen an increase in hybrid operations, cyberattacks and airspace violations. Europe must further strengthen its defence at the border with Russia,” Orpo emphasized.

The Helsinki summit comes ahead of the European Council meeting in Brussels later this week, highlighting the EU’s ongoing focus on security and regional stability.

Prime Minister Orpo has previously hosted EU leaders in Finland. In December 2024, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson convened for discussions under the polar night in Saariselkä, Lapland.

By Vafa Guliyeva