“In the fifth year of the war, we are witnessing Ukraine’s growing resilience and military innovation on the battlefield. Ukraine is increasingly becoming a provider of security, as it is not only successfully resisting Russia’s war of aggression but also sharing its experience and newly developed technologies with its Allies. Yesterday’s drone agreement between Estonia and Ukraine is one example of this,” the Foreign Minister said.
“The focus of this NATO Summit is Europe’s need to become stronger and take greater responsibility for its own defence. From Estonia’s perspective, Ukraine has a major role to play in this, as it is Europe’s largest military power,” said Tsahkna. “Ukraine’s future lies in NATO, making the Alliance even stronger while ensuring Ukraine’s long-term security, because NATO membership is the only effective security guarantee in Europe.”
“In light of Russia’s continued brutal aerial attacks, it is clear that Ukraine needs continued strong Allied support to defend its cities and people and to achieve a just and lasting peace. This requires both sustained military assistance and capabilities to counter ballistic missiles,” Tsahkna stressed, adding that Estonia will continue to provide military assistance amounting to at least 0.25% of GDP annually.
Yesterday in Ankara, the Foreign Minister also took part in the Defence Industry Forum, which brings together political leaders, senior officials and defence industry representatives from Allied countries to advance efforts to expand defence industrial production capacity. Estonian companies Nortal, DefSecIntel and CybExer participated in the forum.
“The Allies are significantly increasing their defence investment, but it is essential that this funding translates into real capabilities and the forces required to implement NATO’s agreed defence plans,” Tsahkna said. “Expanding defence industrial production and developing the defence industry are essential for the rapid achievement of NATO capability targets and for strengthening the Alliance’s deterrence and defence posture.”
Yesterday, Tsahkna also took part in the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting with the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) partners – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait – and held a bilateral meeting with Kuwait’s Foreign Minister, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.
The discussions focused on developments in the Middle East, Iran’s attacks on the Gulf states, and strengthening security cooperation between NATO and the Gulf countries.
