According to Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, we need to build a strong Europe to stop the endless cycle of Russian aggression. “I am pleased that the leaders of the European Union understand the importance of a Europe that is capable of defending itself in the current security situation and making a significantly greater contribution to transatlantic security,” said the prime minister.
“Estonia learned a very hard historical lesson when we lost our independence for half a century. That is why we have increased our national defence spending to 3% of GDP and call on others to find ways and investments to boost the defence industry and significantly increase Europe's defence capabilities,” Kallas continued.
According to Kallas, increasing the European Union’s investments in defence is of utmost importance. “While between 1999 and 2021, the EU's defence spending increased by 19.7%, the US defence spending grew by 65.7%, Russia's by 292% and China's by 592% over the same period,” Kallas noted.
When speaking about compensation for damages caused by war, Kallas said that the European Commission must quickly find a legal solution that would allow use of Russia’s frozen assets for the benefit of Ukraine. “Estonia is the first country in the EU to start working on such a draft act. We hope that we will quickly find a common approach also in the European Union,” the prime minister said.
In addition, the leaders in Brussels will be discussing the continued military support for Ukraine, the use of Russia's frozen assets to rebuild war-ravaged Ukraine and the prosecution of the perpetrators of aggression. Heads of state and government will also receive an interim report on the progress of the initiative concerning the delivery of one million artillery shells and assisting Ukraine.
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