Ukraine’s struggle against Russia’s invasion is fundamentally changing Europe, two Baltic leaders told Euractiv on the sidelines of a conference in Poland. Eastern flank leaders used the Ukraine Recovery Conference last week to argue that Europe’s policy in the besieged country can no longer be treated as a reconstruction or an enlargement file alone. It is a test case of Europe’s ability to adapt to its new world on the regional and global stage.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “If we look back in twenty years, this is the moment defence cooperation clicked for the EU,” Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal told Euractiv in an interview. “Europe was a project of peace without arms. Now, it will be a project of peace – but with arms.” “That’s a big difference because if Europe – the wealthiest region in the world – will have arms and the ability to respond to security threats inside and outside, Europe will become a lot stronger.” For Michal, the shift is not only about military spending. A more capable Europe, he argued, would also become a more credible global player. “Europe is becoming more popular, globally and everywhere because of free trade, markets and our predictability, which used to be boring. But right now, it’s a commodity,” Michal said. “For bad reasons, good things are happening for the European future,” he added.
Ukraine War Forcing Europe to Become ‘Project of Peace With Arms,’ Say Baltic Leaders
Baltic leaders argue that the war in Ukraine is fundamentally transforming Europe’s defense strategy, shifting the EU from an unarmed peace project to a more capable, militarized global player.









