Russian threat to Europe is permanent: PM

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo on Monday said that the threat posed by Russia to Europe is permanent and it will persist even if the war of aggression against Ukraine comes to an end, said a government press release.

“Along with this, I stressed that the threat posed by Russia to Europe is permanent. It will persist even if the war of aggression against Ukraine comes to an end. We need to continue to increase pressure on Russia,” Orpo said at the eighth summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in the Armenian capital of Yerevan.

The theme of the summit was building the future through unity and stability in Europe.

“This meeting of the European Political Community was a very useful opportunity to meet with leaders of European countries and openly discuss our challenges. The geopolitical situation is leading us towards closer cooperation here in Europe. Canada is also interested in deepening and broadening cooperation with European countries, as demonstrated by the fact that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was an invited guest at the summit,” said Orpo.

As usual, the summit consisted of plenary sessions and discussions in small groups.

Orpo and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama chaired the small group discussion on strengthening connectivity and economic security in context of the green transition.

“In the discussion, I emphasised the need to break free from our dependence on fossil fuels. Recent supply chain disruptions caused by the war in Iran are a good example of why this is so important. I noted that breaking free from fossil fuels is not only necessary but also possible: in Finland, 95 per cent of our electricity is fossil-free. I also pointed out that while we explore ways to safeguard the European economy, we can’t lose sight of the need for global trade,” said the Prime Minister.

“Along with this, I stressed that the threat posed by Russia to Europe is permanent. It will persist even if the war of aggression against Ukraine comes to an end. We need to continue to increase pressure on Russia,” Prime Minister Orpo said.

In connection with the summit, Orpo also had bilateral meetings with President of Moldova Maia Sandu and Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti. He also attended a meeting of countries supporting Ukraine and met separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.