Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur participated in the meetings of the Northern Group and Nordic-Baltic (NB8) Defence Ministers in Copenhagen. The discussions focused on supporting Ukraine and Moldova, as well as security in the Baltic Sea region.
On the sidelines of the meetings, Defence Minister Pevkur signed a memorandum on defence procurement cooperation with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
"During the Northern Group meeting, we discussed with colleagues the need to continue military aid to Ukraine with greater determination. We urge allies to allocate 0.25% of their GDP for this purpose. Estonia’s strategy for 2024-2027 is to provide support at this level, and we have already reached this goal with our GDP contribution this year. In the coming years, we will focus on providing military aid to Ukraine through the output of Estonia’s defence industry," said Minister Pevkur.
The security situation in the Baltic Sea region, including the recent disruption of underwater cables in the Baltic Sea, was also a key topic of discussion. Additionally, the Nordic and Baltic Defence Ministers addressed issues related to supporting Moldova in the defence domain. "Estonia’s contribution to Moldova in the defence sector primarily involves carrying out procurements using the European Peace Facility, with the aim of strengthening Moldova's armed forces," noted Pevkur.
The memorandum on defence procurement signed by the Estonian and Ukrainian Defence Ministers establishes a framework for Ukraine’s armed forces to procure products from Estonia’s defence industry according to their military needs.
The Northern Group includes the Defence Ministers of the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, the Nordic countries, and the Baltic states. The Nordic-Baltic (NB8) framework unites the Nordic and Baltic countries.
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