During his two-day visit to Washington, Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur met with National Intelligence Coordinator Tulsi Gabbard, members of the U.S. Congress and Senate, think tank representatives, and media outlets to discuss the global security situation and present Estonia’s positions ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague.
“Estonia’s decision to increase its defence budget to 5.4 % of GDP over the next four years and our major capability development efforts have clearly drawn attention on this side of the Atlantic. Estonia has been recognised, but it was also clearly expressed that all of Europe must contribute more to defence,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
The presence of U.S. forces in Estonia and the other Baltic States is a vital part of NATO’s deterrence and defence posture on the Eastern flank, helping to ensure regional peace and security.
“The message I took away from these meetings is that our strongest Ally, the United States, is firmly with us. Estonia is seen as a strong, like-minded, and trustworthy partner whose success matters deeply here as well. National Intelligence Coordinator Tulsi Gabbard specifically highlighted the excellent cooperation between Estonia and the United States in countering common threats, and the commitment to continue that cooperation,” Pevkur said.
“In sum, since Russia has not changed its strategic objectives, all Allies in Europe must invest more in defence. We are seeing clear progress, but at the NATO summit in The Hague, we expect a joint commitment from all Allies to set a higher level of defence spending, reflecting the capabilities needed to implement the new defence plans,” Pevkur added.
During the meetings, the Minister also explained the necessity of continued support for Ukraine, “President Zelenskyy has consistently demonstrated a willingness to achieve peace. At the same time, pressure on Russia must intensify so that the weapons finally fall silent. The European Union, together with the United States and other partners, must impose additional sanctions on Russia and continue military aid until Russia accepts a ceasefire,” the Minister said. “For now, everyone in Washington D.C. is clearly waiting to see whether President Putin will be present at the negotiations with President Zelenskyy in Turkey later this week — the next steps will depend on that.”
As part of the two-day visit, Minister Pevkur also met with defence experts and think tanks at the America First Foreign Policy Institute and the Heritage Foundation, and participated in a roundtable with representatives from Carnegie, CNAS, RAND, the Stimson Center, and the Foreign Policy Research Institute. In Congress, he met with Representatives Jake Ellzey, Betty McCollum, and Ed Case, and Senators Tom Cotton and John Boozman. A media roundtable was also held at the Estonian Embassy.
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Photos: Kaitseminister Pevkur USAs (12.-13.05.2025) | Flickr