Estonian Prime Minister discusses strengthening the eastern flank of Europe in Helsinki

"The threat from Russia is not going away, and strengthening the eastern flank of Europe must become a shared responsibility for Europe," said Prime Minister Kristen Michal ahead of the summit. "Starting next year, Estonia will invest at least 5% of its GDP in national defence. Our needs have been mapped out and work is underway, but to speed up the process, we need significantly more support from the European Union, including through joint funding measures.

According to Michal, Estonia supports EU defence projects and considers the Eastern Flank Watch defence cooperation initiative to be a priority. "Air and drone defence, situational awareness, and the ability to stop the enemy at the border are our priorities," said the Prime Minister.

The meeting will conclude at 3 p.m. with a joint press conference, which will be held in English and can be followed live at Valtioneuvoston videopalvelu. To obtain an embed code, please write to: [email protected]

For more information about the meeting and press conference, please visit: Tiedotustilausuus: Eastern Flank Summit (Press conference: Eastern Flank Summit)

Government Communication Unit