PM in Kyiv: Estonia committed to supporting Ukraine until victory

TALLINN - During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated that Ukraine can count on Estonia's support until the war is won.

Michal emphasized Estonia's backing for Ukraine's membership in the European Union and NATO, as well as its commitment to intensifying sanctions against Russia.

Michal said that he admires the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the strength of its armed forces in confronting the aggressor.

"The Ukrainian state and people can count on Estonia's support until the war is won," he added.

Michal highlighted the importance of further tightening sanctions against Russia, including restricting energy exports, reviewing the oil price cap, and increasing control over shadow fleets.

"We must show that time is not on Putin's side and that the world's democracies will not tire of supporting Ukraine," he stated.

The Estonian prime minister also reaffirmed Estonia's commitment to providing military aid to Ukraine, amounting to 0.25 percent of the country's GDP annually for the next three years, roughly 100 million euros per year.

"I urge our allies to do the same, as together we can achieve more. We will also discuss increasing our support with the leaders of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, and the Baltic states at the JEF summit in Tallinn next week," he said.

At a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Michal also addressed cyberattacks, stressing the need for joint efforts in cybersecurity.

"This is why Estonia, along with its allies, created the Tallinn Mechanism to assist Ukraine in strengthening its cybersecurity. Despite massive cyberattacks, Ukraine has managed to maintain the stability of its digital services," he noted.

Michal said that negotiations with Russia can take place only from a position of strength to force Putin to abandon his objectives.

"Our first step must be to strengthen Ukraine's positions and armaments on the frontline. Estonia's initiative to provide one million artillery shells has been achieved, but it is far from sufficient. To protect ourselves and Ukraine, the allies must increase their defense spending to at least 2.5 percent of GDP. This commitment should be a key outcome of the NATO summit in The Hague next June," the prime minister added.

During his visit to Kyiv, Michal will also meet with Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. He will lay a wreath at Ukraine's Wall of Remembrance and open the Estonia-Ukraine Cyber Business Forum.

The prime minister is accompanied by a cyber sector business delegation, including representatives from around ten companies.