“We updated the National Security Concept because the international security environment has deteriorated. Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine. The COVID-19 pandemic that preceded it showed the importance of the effects of a civil crisis. These trends have changed how we think of security policy both in Estonia and in the free world more broadly,” the prime minister said, explaining why she is presenting this strategic framework document to the Riigikogu now.
“The objective of Estonia is and has always been to make aggression against the Estonian State impossible,” she emphasised. “We are not making any fundamental changes to our security policy framework document, but given the current security environment, we are now doing much more on our own and with our allies to ensure our own security. We have raised our defence spending to a historically high level. The defence spending of Estonia in 2023 will exceed one billion euros with 2.85 per cent of the Estonian's GDP. In 2022, we allocated an additional 1.2 billion euros to military defence.”
Speaking about the main changes that have been introduced in the National Security Concept compared to the previous version of 2017, Kallas highlighted naming the Russian Federation the biggest security threat. “The goal of the Russian Federation is to dismantle and reshape the European security architecture and the rules-based world order and restore the policy of spheres of influence. We have been aware of the threat posed by Russia all along, but it was not usual to talk about it so directly,” she said.
The prime minister added that Estonia has always been aware that our neighbour is aggressive and unpredictable. “Now, however, many allies and partners share the same threat assessment. The new Strategic Concept of NATO, which we adopted at the 2022 Madrid summit of NATO leaders, also states this clearly.
The prime minister also said that it is existentially important for Estonia that we are part of a democratic community that remains united and strong. “The past year has highlighted what we have always known – preserving democracy is also part of security policy.”
“To ensure our security, we must act across the spectrum, because the enemy will be using all means to attack us,” Kallas said. Pursuant to the new National Security Concept, in order to strengthen the security of Estonia, the state will focus on five closely related and mutually supportive areas of activity, which form a whole and each part of which is of equal importance: 1) the cohesion of society and the resilience of the state, 2) economic security and vital services, 3) internal security and public order, 4) military defence, 5) international activities.
“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” said Kallas, describing these areas of activity.
Full text of the prime minister’s speech on the National Security Concept: https://valitsus.ee/en/news/speech-prime-minister-kaja-kallas-presentation-national-security-concept-riigikogu-6-february
Gallery: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAr7tB
