Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur and Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans met at Ämari Airbase to discuss defence cooperation between Estonia and the Netherlands, military assistance and IT coalition support for Ukraine, and also issues related to the upcoming NATO Summit next summer.
“In a situation where we see the Russian Federation simultaneously waging war in Ukraine and implementing military reforms that increase the presence of Russian forces near our border, our allies are reinforcing their contributions to NATO’s eastern flank. In this context, we welcome the Netherlands, which has recently started its Baltic Air Policing rotation from Ämari with F-35 stealth fighters. The Netherlands shares a similar threat perception with us and has been a highly constructive partner to Estonia for many years,” said Hanno Pevkur.
“The Netherlands has provided significant military aid to Ukraine, amounting to nearly €4 billion, and has allocated substantial resources to advancing the IT coalition. The Netherlands joined the IT coalition in January this year and has since been one of its most active supporters. All this reflects the Netherlands’ firm commitment to ensuring European security,” Pevkur added.
Together with the United States and Denmark, the Netherlands leads the Air Force Coalition as part of the Ramstein capability development coalitions. Prior to the current rotation, the Netherlands had participated in Baltic Air Policing four times, operating from Šiauliai and Poland. NATO’s rotational air defence model, introduced after the Washington Summit, is now part of NATO’s air defence strategy.
Photos from the Defence Ministers’ Meeting
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