Defmin in Kyiv: Estonia to direct more than EUR 100 mln to Ukraine's defense

TALLINN - During a two-day visit to Ukraine, Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur assured his counterpart Denys Shmyhal that Estonia will continue to provide military aid to Ukraine next year at the same level as this year, that is at least 0.25 percent of its gross domestic product, or more than 100 million euros, majority of which will be directed to Ukraine in the form of goods produced by Estonian defense companies.

"Estonia will continue to resolutely support Ukraine in Russia's war of aggression. Next year as well, we will uphold the principle that 0.25 percent of our GDP goes to aid Ukraine. We are guided by Ukraine's military needs, and Estonian defense industry companies will again play a central role. We will also continue supporting the training of Ukrainian forces and Ukraine's defense-sector IT solutions," spokespeople for the Defense Ministry quoted Pevkur as saying.

The defense ministers also discussed recent events in Poland. Pevkur said that the scale of the airspace violation over Poland and NATO territory is unprecedented and unacceptable, and full responsibility for the incident lies with Russia.

"Our focus must remain on pressuring Russia as the aggressor and on helping Ukraine bring this brutal war to an end," he added.

The defense minister also met with Ukrainian soldiers who had fought on the front lines, who shared firsthand accounts from the battlefield and emphasized the importance of Western support. Pevkur also held meetings with Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko to discuss recent developments in Ukraine and the security situation on NATO's eastern flank.

As part of the visit, Pevkur took part in panel discussions at the Yalta European Strategy conference, where topics included nuclear weapons and security guarantees for Ukraine. On the sidelines of the conference, Pevkur also met with US special envoy Keith Kellogg, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, and US Congressman Jimmy Panetta.