The head of government remarked that a compromise had been reached in regard to military support for Ukraine and that five billion euros had been added to the European Peace Facility, showing both Ukraine and the Kremlin that the European Union will not back down and that it will help Ukraine win the war. “However, Europe’s defence readiness and its defence industry must be our next strategic objective,” she advised. “To date, our role in the face of Russia’s aggression has been purely reactionary. It is time for us to move on to long-term planning and strategy.”
Prime Minister Kallas recommended that the European Union offer even more ‘outside-the-box’ solutions along the lines of Estonia’s million shells initiative and Czechia’s ammunition coalition. “Our aim must be to manufacture more munitions than Russia,” she said. “We can fill the gaps in Ukraine’s defence needs in the short term, as Estonia’s recent aid package for military equipment is doing, but the long-term solution is the accelerated development of Europe’s defence industry.”
The head of government also noted that if the countries in the Ramstein coalition were to dedicate at least 0.25% of their GDP to military aid for Ukraine each year, the Ukrainians would win the war within three years, if not sooner. “Compared to what these countries invest in development aid or their own defence spending, this is entirely feasible,” she said.
Noting the need for additional funding for the rebuilding of Ukraine and the advancement of Europe’s defence industry, Prime Minister Kallas raised the issue of frozen Russian assets. “We must start using the interest earned from them to support Ukraine and raise additional capital for our defence industry,” she said. “At the same time, if we are to stop the Russian war machine we must also restrict their earnings, which primarily means new sanctions, more effective control of existing ones and the establishment of import duties.”
The head of government added that Estonia’s fundamental security interest is unity between NATO allies and EU Member States. “Unless we are willing to risk Ukraine losing the war, we must invest more in defence,” she urged. “In this regard it is imperative that we act swiftly and with sufficient funding. A thriving defence industry will also create jobs and economic benefits. The 1.5 billion euros so far allocated is a decent start, but the initial investment need is at least 100 billion euros.”
During the two-day summit, Europe’s leaders will also be discussing enlargement, ways of resolving the Middle Eastern crisis and how to mitigate the complex situations in migration and the agricultural sector. The Belgian capital will also host the Euro Summit on Friday.
