Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo arrives to attend the European Council in Brussels on June 26, 2025. EU leaders meet from June 26 to 27 to discuss geoeconomic challenges and the ongoing developments in Ukraine and the Middle East. Photo: Nicolas Tucat / Lehtikuva
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Petteri Orpo said the European Union must remain united on sanctions against Russia, including Hungary and Slovakia. He made the remarks on Thursday morning in Brussels as EU leaders began a two-day summit focused on Ukraine, European defence, and internal security.
The summit is expected to approve a new package of sanctions targeting Moscow. But Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and Slovakia under Robert Fico, have opposed the plan. Both countries have criticised earlier measures and stated they will not back the latest proposals.
According to a Finnish government summary, the meeting will cover topics including Ukraine support, tensions in the Middle East, and steps to improve EU competitiveness and resilience.
The summit follows the conclusion of a NATO meeting in The Hague. Orpo said that NATO and the EU are aligned in their defence goals and that Europe must act on earlier decisions to expand its own military capabilities.
“Europe has to build a strong, independent defence capability. The threat from Russia will not go away, even after its war of aggression in Ukraine is over,” said Orpo.
He said EU nations must invest in the defence of the eastern frontier. “The events in Ukraine have shown that there is still a need for strong ground troops,” he said.
Finland shares the EU’s longest land border with Russia, followed by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Since joining NATO, Finland has also been pushing for deeper EU-NATO coordination.
The summit also includes talks on the progress of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations. Orpo said Finland supports moving forward with enlargement discussions.
“We have to ensure that Ukraine is supported in all possible ways, both now and in the future,” he said.
Leaders will also review internal security, hybrid threats, and organised crime. Broader topics include migration, the Western Balkans, Moldova, and other external relations matters.
Hungary and Slovakia remain the only member states openly opposing the latest sanctions. Orpo said such divisions should not be allowed to weaken the bloc’s response to Russia.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
