Russia is a 'permanent threat' to the EU, says Helsinki

The Finnish Prime Minister said on Sunday that Russia posed a “permanent threat” to the European Union, and stressed the need to increase defense spending and continue support for Ukraine.

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Petteri Orpo hosted a summit on security and immigration, in the presence of the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas and the Prime Ministers of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, Italy, Giorgia Meloni and Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“The defense of Europe must be strengthened by all possible means”

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Mr. Orpo said that “the security situation has changed.” “Russia poses a permanent and dangerous threat to the European Union and European countries,” he said.

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“Europe's defense must be strengthened by all possible means, we must explore all financial options,” the Finnish Prime Minister continued, without mentioning concrete plans to increase budgets.

Ms Kallas also affirmed that “Russia represents a direct threat to European security”, while noting that “security includes different elements”.

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“We are seeing different hybrid attacks across Europe, whether sabotage, cyberattacks, dangerous ghost fleets, GPS jamming and damage to (Baltic Sea telecommunications) cables, but also a militarization of migration,” said Ms. Kallas.

Towards securing the border between Finland and Russia

Finland has accused Moscow of orchestrating an influx of migrants to its eastern border with Russia with the arrival of around 1,000 illegal immigrants in the fall of 2023.

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Mr. Orpo indicated that securing Finland's 1,340 km long border with Russia, an EU and NATO border, he stressed, “is an existential question for Finland and for other EU members and NATO allies.

He also called for “continued support for Ukraine for as long and as much as necessary.”