The Eastern Flank as a Common Defensive Alliance

Alongside the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference, the Eastern Flank Summit was held in Gdańsk, with the participation of the presidents of Lithuania and Romania and the prime ministers of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. Representatives of the European institutions also took part in the talks.

“For years Poland has insisted that the defence of the eastern flank should be the responsibility of the entire EU. That is why today, in this group, we held talks with the President of the European Commission and the Commissioner for Defence,” said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a joint statement by the leaders of the eastern-flank countries.

He also stressed the importance of maintaining strong transatlantic ties and defence cooperation with the United States.

“We have no doubt that the presence of, and cooperation with, the United States serves the security of Europe and of the eastern-flank countries well,” said the head of government.

The Gdańsk summit is the latest in a series of meetings of the countries' leaders. The first was held in Helsinki in 2025.

“We established this format together with the eastern-flank countries last year in Helsinki. We are now meeting for the second time, and it is important that we continue this work,” said Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.

The aim of the eastern-flank leaders' meetings is to coordinate the actions and policies of the region's countries, which are threatened by Russia's aggressive conduct.

“Without exception, we share the view that the situation is highly unstable. Various kinds of escalation can be expected in the coming weeks and months. As a group of countries directly exposed to this risk, because we border Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, we will want to prepare ourselves,” warned the Prime Minister.

The President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, stressed that unity should apply to the north and the south, should reach from east to west and should also encompass the Black Sea basin.

“We need the mechanisms essential for planning and for preparing our citizens. We are doing something more than protecting territory. We are protecting the principles that bind our countries together. The security of the flank determines our own security. Let us not put this off,” said the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda.

The contribution of the individual countries to defence efforts was also highlighted.

“The Swedish authorities continue to act decisively with regard to the shadow fleet, upholding international law. We are defending the maritime resources on the eastern flank, in the Baltic Sea,” said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

He stated that "we need strength in order to ensure peace," and that the eastern flank shows how to do it.

Growing Investment in Defence

Poland remains one of the leading countries in terms of the level of spending devoted to defence and security, which significantly strengthens our relations with the Americans.

“On defence directly and on defence-related matters it will be 7%, so the share really is very large, very solid,” said Donald Tusk.

Raising defence spending is important in all the countries of the region.

“The past six months have been a time of taking many important steps to strengthen defence and security. 5.4% of GDP is Estonia's level of defence spending,” declared Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.

The countries on the eastern flank bear the greatest burden of investment in defence on behalf of the whole of Europe.

“These countries devote the largest share of their GDP to defence, taking responsibility for the security of the entire region. If you look at the SAFE programme, it is precisely the eastern-flank countries that are using 76 billion euros from that project. This is happening in the name of solidarity across the whole of Europe,” said Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.

The need for engagement and for a financial effort in support of Europe's security and solidarity was pointed out by all the participants in the meeting.

The Gdańsk Declaration: the Eastern-Flank Leaders' Joint Statement

The signatory states adopted a joint declaration in which they underlined the need for continued, broad support for Ukraine, military, financial and political, and backed its integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. They also declared their commitment to developing joint defence projects, modernising infrastructure and increasing spending on security.

The Gdańsk meeting ended with a confirmation of the unity and solidarity of the eastern-flank countries and of the European Union's full support for measures strengthening the region's security.