Estonian minister endorses defense assistance package for Ukraine

TALLINN - Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet this week approved a package of defense assistance to Ukraine, under which Estonia, together with Germany, will donate to Ukraine a field hospital developed by an Estonian company, and which also foresees a possibility for Ukraine to join the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence in Tallinn, along with several other projects aimed at strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities.

"Today, Ukraine is holding the front line that separates Europe from a military conflict with Russia. Almost every day, some Ukrainian soldier falls in this conflict. It is our direct interest and a direct interest of the West to comprehensively support Ukraine so that Ukraine can stand up to  the aggressor," Laanet said.

He said that the approval of the defense assistance package followed an appraisal of the effectiveness of the actions towards Ukraine and the possibilities available to Estonia.

In addition to donating a field hospital and enabling accession to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence, Estonia will continue to support Ukraine by providing rehabilitation for wounded Ukrainian soldiers, participating in military exercises in Ukraine, training the country's special operations forces, conducting English language training for Ukrainian soldiers and supporting the training of officers at the Baltic Defense College in Tartu.

In addition to bilateral activities, Estonia uses international cooperation formats and programs to support Ukraine, in particular initiatives directed towards NATO partner countries, and will coordinate its actions with other assistance providers where possible.

Estonia's defense cooperation with Ukraine is close and mutually beneficial, as Estonia can share its knowledge and best practices and learn from the experiences garnered by Ukraine in day-to-day combat activities. Estonia has been actively engaging in defense assistance programs since the early 2000s.