HELSINKI — Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will represent Finland at two high-level meetings in Copenhagen this week, the government said Monday.
Orpo will attend an informal European Council meeting on Oct. 1 and the European Political Community (EPC) meeting the following day. Both gatherings of European heads of state and government will be hosted by Denmark, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
The European Council session is expected to focus on strengthening Europe’s common defense and support for Ukraine. EU member states have already pledged to increase Europe’s defense readiness by 2030.
“Strengthening European defence and especially the EU’s eastern border are top priorities for Finland,” Orpo said. “All of Europe must understand that Russia poses a permanent threat to our security. While we support Ukraine, we are also strengthening our own defence. The proposal to build a drone wall sends a concrete message that the Union has updated its priorities for responding to security concerns.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal for a drone wall along the Union’s eastern frontier will be among the issues discussed.
On Oct. 2, leaders at the seventh EPC meeting will turn to continued support for Ukraine and broader efforts to strengthen Europe amid global geopolitical challenges. Orpo is scheduled to take part in small group discussions on security and resilience, in addition to plenary and bilateral sessions.
The EPC provides an informal forum for European leaders, EU institutions and representatives of NATO, the OSCE and the Council of Europe to discuss common challenges.
