Air defense on NATO's eastern flank must be a priority - Estonian presiden

TALLINN - At a meeting with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, and Polish President Karol Nawrocki on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly week in New York on Tuesday, Estonian President Alar Karis stressed that air defense on NATO's eastern flank must be a priority.

Speaking about the security of the Baltic states and Poland, the heads of state highlighted recent Russian airspace violations and underlined the need to strengthen allied defense cooperation.

"The strengthening of the eastern flank is not only a military consideration, but also has political and deterrent dimensions -- it reassures allies and shows adversaries that NATO's collective defense works," Karis said.

On support for Ukraine, the Estonian head of state stressed that in addition to defense aid, a clear perspective of European Union membership must be offered.

"Ukraine's place is in Europe, and our support for its integration must be as consistent as our support for strengthening its defense capability," he said.

Together with his Latvian and Lithuanian counterparts, the president also took part in a panel at the Concordia Summit, which addressed eastern flank security, pressure on Russia, and the importance of transatlantic cooperation.

"The violation of Estonia's airspace by Russia is not the first, but this time it took place in a much more tense geopolitical situation and at the same time as several other similar incidents in the region. This shows that air defense must be a NATO priority across the entire eastern flank," Karis said.

The president highlighted that Russia uses a range of tools to escalate tensions -- the shadow fleet, targeted migration pressure, and cyberattacks -- and airspace violations are part of the same pattern.

"To keep Russia away from our borders, air policing must be strengthened, and more than that, air defense must be reinforced," the Estonian head of state added.

The discussion also covered contributions to NATO defense plans and emphasized the importance of transatlantic ties.

"The United States needs Europe, just as Europe needs the United States. Cooperation is mutually necessary," Karis said.