On Dec. 16, the leaders of Sweden, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Bulgaria gathered in Helsinki for a one-day meeting. The Eastern Flank Summit, the first of its kind, was hosted by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, with an agenda calling for enhanced defense against Russia and the required increased funding. “Russia remains a threat to Europe today, tomorrow and in the near future,” Orpo claimed, according to Nezavisimaya Gazeta. He stressed that even with peace in Ukraine, Russia would still be a threat, as it could move its military forces closer to the Finnish and Baltic borders.