Finland PM says Russia ‘permanent’ threat to EU

HELSINKI: Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Sunday that Russia was a “permanent and dangerous threat” to the EU, and stressed the need for increased defence spending and support for Ukraine.

Orpo hosted a summit on security and immigration with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Finnish head of government said “the security situation has changed”.

“Russia is a permanent and dangerous threat to the European Union and European countries,” Orpo said.

“Europe’s defence must be strengthened by all possible means, we must explore all financial options,” Orpo said, without mentioning any concrete plans for increasing budgets.

Kallas concurred, saying “that Russia poses a direct threat to European security,” while noting that “security comprises of different elements.”

“We see all across Europe different hybrid attacks, whether it’s sabotage acts, we see cyber attacks, also dangerous shadow fleet, GPS jamming and damage to cables, but also weaponising of migration,” Kallas said.

Finland has accused Russia of orchestrating a surge of migrants after nearly 1,000 migrants without visas arrived at its 1,340-kilometre-long (830-mile) eastern border with Russia in the autumn of 2023.

Orpo said that securing Finland’s border with Russia — which he noted was an EU and NATO border — “is an existential question for Finland and for other EU members and NATO allies.”

He also noted that countries “must continue support Ukraine for as long and as much as needed.”