Yesterday, Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur discussed bilateral defence cooperation and capability development perspectives with US Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin in Washington.
“At the NATO summit here two weeks ago, the unity and strength of the allies was evident, and this is also reflected in the bilateral defence cooperation between Estonia and the US. I am very pleased that Defence Secretary Austin has reaffirmed the long-standing presence of American troops in Estonia. The next step is to define precise aspects of the US military presence in Estonia in the coming years. Our definite wish is to increase the amount of locally available long-range ammunition,” Pevkur remarked after the meeting.
According to Pevkur, Estonia highly appreciates the strategic steps taken by the United States in the past few years regarding the persistent, heel-to-toe presence of US troops in the Baltic States and the linking of these troops to NATO’s regional defence plans.
“Now we must build on what we have already achieved and undertake further joint efforts to convincingly deter Russia: not just by words, but by deeds. This means, in particular, accelerating the development of such critical capabilities as anti-air defence and indirect fire, as well as replenishing the ammunition stocks.”
“We also intend to prioritise US financial security assistance for the coming years. The Baltic Security Initiative has been a great support to us, but given Russia’s military aggressiveness, it is necessary to find ways to increase this assistance in cooperation with the US Congress, making deterrence of Russia even more effective,” added Defence Minister Pevkur.
The defence ministers also discussed issues of defence spending, where Estonia’s position is that 2% of the GDP is not enough to meet the new capability targets. “For the 2025 summit in The Hague, we should review the agreement on defence spending confirmed at the Vilnius Summit and agree on a more ambitious target, such as 2.5% or 3% of the GDP. To achieve this, we need strong US leadership,” explained Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
During the visit, Defence Minister Pevkur also met with Mike Rogers, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee of the House of Representatives, to discuss possible increases in security assistance to the Baltic States.
In line with President Biden’s pledge at the Madrid Summit, there has been a continuous rotation of the US military units deployed in Estonia from 2022. There is a HIMARS unit in Tapa and an infantry battalion in Võru. The rotation supports the training of the Estonian Defence Forces and expedites the addressing of capability gaps.
Photos from the visit: Ceremony marking the anniversary of the Welles Declaration
Welcoming ceremony and photos of the meeting between Austin and Pevkur
Awarding of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana II Class to the US Secretary of Defence
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