Formin: Estonia helping Ukraine rebuild in anticipation of victory

TALLINN - Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets met with a delegation of the Ukrainian parliament and the Zhytomyr region on Tuesday evening to discuss options for supporting Ukraine and rebuilding the country after the end of the war.

"Estonia has been providing comprehensive help to Ukraine since the very first days of the extensive war that began in February as well as before that. We're at the forefront in terms of provision of help to Ukraine compared to our population. At the meeting with the representatives of their parliament and the Zhytomyr region, I affirmed that we will continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it needs [our help]. We're currently increasingly focusing on helping Ukraine rebuild its country in anticipation of victory in the war," Liimets said.

The minister added that Estonia's focus is on the Zhytomyr region, the representatives of which have asked for development and humanitarian aid from Estonia to reconstruct the region after the war. Estonia has responded to the Ukrainian president's call to focus on specific regions or local governments where aid is needed.

Liimets said that three million euros have been earmarked in the supplementary budget for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the further provision of support to Ukraine.

"First and foremost, the consequences of violence against women and children must be dealt with, and housing, kindergartens and schools need to be established for the people who have lost their homes. We can also help with emergency rescue work, such as explosive ordnance disposal and rescuing people who have become trapped by slides, as well as with urgent humanitarian aid, such as food aid, health care and accommodation articles and their transport," she said.

The foreign minister said that in total, the Estonian people, public bodies, businesses and non-profit organizations have donated over 16 million euros for humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Estonia has also supported boosting Ukraine's defense capability with over 230 million euros.