Estonia backs Ukraine's NATO membership and foreign military presence
Photo: Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Getty Images)
Estonia strongly supports Ukraine's membership in NATO and the presence of foreign troops in the country, noting that this would guarantee its security, says Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna during a joint conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
"We are very clear about our position on Ukraine's accession to NATO. We support Ukraine's full membership in NATO. And no circumstances should prevent this. This is very clear," Tsahkna says.
He stresses that Estonia was the first country to declare at the government level that Ukraine should receive security in the form of boots on the ground.
According to the Minister, for this to happen, Ukraine needs to become a member of NATO once the ceasefire is in place.
"We are very confident and hope that other NATO allies will understand that if security guarantees are needed, then it is NATO membership and the presence of soldiers," Tsahkna adds.
Estinia's assistance for Ukraine
Estonia has provided Ukraine with over €500 million in military aid, which is 1.4% of its GDP, placing the country among the world leaders in terms of contribution to the economy.
The aid includes Javelins, howitzers, and other artillery, anti-tank weapons, mortars, transport, communications, field hospitals (together with Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Iceland), medical supplies, protective equipment, and dry rations.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Estonia has trained over 1,500 Ukrainian military personnel and, together with Luxembourg, created an IT coalition in 2023 to develop a secure ICT infrastructure for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in accordance with NATO standards.
Earlier, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that Tallinn was ready to contribute to the deterrent forces of the Coalition of the Willing, which is being formed by the United Kingdom and France to guarantee Ukraine's security.
