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Pevkur in Kyiv: Ukraine can defend itself if we give it the opportunity

12. November 2024 - 11:16
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Defence Minister of Estonia Hanno Pevkur
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Defence Minister of Estonia Hanno Pevkur

Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur was on a visit to Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, Minister of Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin, and visited defence industry companies.

"November 19 will mark 1,000 days since Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression. Ukrainians have proven they can defend themselves, but we must give them the opportunity to do so by providing sufficient military support. Estonia’s commitment is unwavering, and Estonia plans to launch an annual, competitive support measure for Estonian companies to donate their production to Ukraine. This strengthens not only Ukraine but also our own security and economy," said Pevkur.

"Ukraine has faced setbacks in the war due to delays in Western military aid, shortages of ammunition and weaponry, and restrictions imposed by allies. The long-term 40 billion euro support package for Ukraine agreed upon at the Washington summit is a positive step, but it needs to be implemented effectively," added Defence Minister Pevkur.

As of September 2024, Estonia has provided Ukraine with military aid worth approximately 516 million euros, or about 1.4% of its GDP, making Estonia one of the top supporters globally in relation to population and GDP.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war, Estonia has also trained more than 1,500 Ukrainian servicemen both domestically and abroad.

An IT Coalition was established in 2023 under the leadership of Estonia and Luxembourg to support the creation of secure, NATO-standard ICT infrastructure for the Ukrainian armed forces.

Photos from the Meeting with the Ukrainian President and Defence Minister

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