NATO troops in Estonia to cost over 3 million euros

Hosting NATO troops in Estonia this year will cost around 3.5 million euros, Postimees Online reports.

It's the first time so many NATO troops have been based in Estonia this year: Danish fighter planes and  NATO mine-hunters have been among forces stationed in the Baltic state.

Estonia also received United States forces and organized the Spring Storm exercise which had more participants than ever.

NATO leaders have praised Estonia for defense spending accounting for 2% of gross domestic product. 

On 12 June, the government decided that the extra costs connected to receiving NATO units will not be financed from the defense budget but additional sums will be allocated for that.

Estonian defense ministry public relations department deputy director Peter Kuimet said:"This additional allocation will be used to finance additional and unforeseen expenses that have occurred in Ämari (Ämari air base – ed.) as reception costs of the Danish fighter planes' rotation there now, and the rotation of German fighter planes who will come there in September to replace the Danes, as well as to receive the United States paratroopers staying in Estonia," 

The costs form less than one percent of the total defense budget this year, which is a little over 380 million euros.

The final data will be known probably in autumn when the size of the additional costs is known.