Estonian PM: NATO-EU strategic partnership guarantees our security

MADRID – At the Madrid summit on Wednesday, NATO heads of state and government reaffirmed cooperation with key partners, including stressing the importance of cooperation between NATO and the European Union, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said according to the government's communications office.

Kallas said the strategic partnership between NATO and the European Union ensures our security and well-being.

"The most important thing for NATO-EU cooperation at the moment is Russia's war in Ukraine and how to continue to raise the price of aggression for Russia as high as possible," the premier  said.

According to Kallas, war fatigue and difficulties at home must not become an obstacle for us to support Ukraine.

"It is in our power to change the course of the war. To do this, we must continue to provide Ukraine with heavy weapons and active air defense, and the weapons must get there quickly." Kallas said.

Kallas also emphasized that in the case of Russia, we must refrain from thinking that we can return to the previous status quo.

"We must not repeat our previous mistakes and make concessions to Russia. This would only lead to new violence," Kallas said. 

The prime minister noted that NATO's cooperation with other partners is also important in protecting the rules-based world order. The security threats that affect us are closely related. In standing up for a rules-based world and international law, we need to work even more closely with our partners in the Indo-Pacific -- the principle that borders must not be violated and mass war crimes must not be committed is sadly not a thing of the past, she said. 

According to the Estonian head of government, today's security situation in Europe confirms that NATO's open door policy is the only right one. The accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO ensures the common security of all of us.

"I hope that we will soon be able to welcome Finland and Sweden as members of NATO. However, NATO's expansion must not stop there. We must keep NATO's door open also to others, especially Ukraine and Georgia, as well as Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina," Kallas added.