The Prime Minister emphasized that it is important for Europe to be ready for self-defense.
Russia will redeploy its troops to the eastern flank of NATO if a peace agreement is reached in Ukraine. This was stated by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, who urged Europe to allocate more funds for the defense of frontline states, as reported by the Financial Times.
He called on the other countries of the European Union to show solidarity with the eastern flank states that are increasing their defense spending.
"We know that even when peace comes to Ukraine, Russia will still remain a threat. It is clear that they will move their military forces closer to our border and to the border with the Baltics. It is evident that we need financial support [from Brussels]," Orpo noted in an interview with the publication.
The FT reported that today, December 16, the minister will hold the first summit of the eastern flank, which will involve eight countries that have a maritime or land border with Russia and Belarus.
"The states will attempt to agree on joint military capabilities in areas such as air defense, drones, and ground forces. They also want to discuss how to move weapons and troops across the continent. Several NATO countries have warned that Russia will be ready for serious confrontation with the Western military alliance within three to five years after the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine," the article emphasized.
In particular, Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland plan to spend more than 5% of their GDP on defense next year, significantly exceeding the spending target set by U.S. President Donald Trump, while other bordering states are also increasing their military expenditures.
According to Orpo, it is important for Europe to be ready for self-defense, as the U.S. begins to withdraw from the continent.
"We know that the U.S. will reduce support and involvement in the defense of Europe, as they have many other security issues," he noted.
The publication reminded that Finland is one of the few countries in Europe that has not lowered its vigilance regarding Russia. However, it has also suffered from more than a decade of economic decline, which forces the government to cut public spending due to rapid debt growth.
"Our economy is currently in very poor condition. This is due to the threat from Russia. The atmosphere in Finland is very complicated," Orpo added.
According to him, the eastern flank countries are interested not only in the 1.5 billion euros of unused European funds for military projects but also in a significant portion of the approximately 130 billion euros that the EU has allocated for defense in the next budget period.
The Finnish Prime Minister acknowledged that Europe is facing an "important week" to show that it can not only talk but also act for peace in Ukraine, as EU leaders are set to meet for an important summit on December 18, where it may be decided whether Ukraine will go bankrupt.
It is known that the countries will discuss how to overcome Belgium's resistance regarding frozen Russian assets that will be used to finance Kyiv, as well as a trade agreement with Latin American countries.
According to Orpo, European leaders, led by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have been working hard to find a solution to Belgium's problem.
"Now it is time to make a decision," he added.
When asked what would happen if the EU summit ended without financial support for Ukraine, he replied:
"I don’t want to think about that. Because we have no other options."
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