Estonian PM calls on other states to provide aid to Ukraine out of their warehouses

"If we have holes, we think about how we can deal with them. I had meetings with defense industry representatives while in Munich, on how to bring the Estonian tech sector and the defense industry together. We have initiated a special plan to build a defense-related industrial park," she said. "There are similar initiatives to be seen in other countries, too. But this all takes time. For this reason, we still in any case have to think about what we can do to get this war ended."

Kallas estimates Czechia's proposal

According to her, if the recent statement by Czech President Petr Pavel that there are 800,000 shells in the world that could be transferred to Ukraine is true, then negotiations must begin immediately to transfer these shells to Ukraine as soon as possible.

Kallas added that Czechs had done their homework here, adding that "surely those countries who have them should conclude agreements on how they might reach Ukraine."

Kallas also says that this issue concerns major allies as well. She notes that Estonia is constantly considering what else it can give to help Ukrainians. Prime Minister believes that there are probably items in warehouses of other countries that they could send to help Ukrainians withstand.

Security is not a priority for all states

Kallas acknowledges that in many countries, security issues are not at the forefront.

Kallas said that whereas in Estonia, Poland, and also Denmark, security was a, if not the major topic, in many other countries, immigration, climate change, and other themes took precedence.

At the same time, Kallas said, according to heads of government she met while in Munich, that is changing, and public opinion is switching more to the issue of security.

Munich Security Conference 2024

The annual Munich Security Conference took place between February 16 and 18. Over 150 world leaders traveled to Germany to discuss issues of global security. One of the key topics was financial assistance to Ukraine.

During his speech at the panel discussion, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius did not rule out the possibility that in 5-8 years, Russia would attack one of the EU and NATO countries and called for preparation for the "worst-case scenario."

NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Rob Bauer stated that the Alliance needs transformation, and the West must prepare for an era in which anything can happen at any time, including the outbreak of war.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskнy warned that Western wavering in support of Kyiv and fears of escalation of war with Russia could prolong hostilities for years.