Prime Minister Michal: Europe’s defense begins in Estonia and other border states

"The drone wall is a priority. The political support from our allies for strengthening the eastern border is very strong, and we have many supporters. At the next European Council, it would be necessary to make concrete decisions and set clear deadlines. Estonia will develop its systems by the end of 2027, but we will already deploy the first solutions next year," said Michal. "All of this requires the solidarity of the European Union and financial contributions," he added.

"In defense procurement, closer cooperation is needed, based on NATO plans, to ensure faster deliveries and better prices," the Prime Minister noted.

According to Michal, Estonia and the European Union will continue to support Ukraine under any circumstances, despite Russia's attempts to divert attention. "The European Commission has put forward proposals for using frozen assets to aid Ukraine, which makes clear that Russia must pay for its aggression. Even dictator Putin cannot wage war without money," he remarked.

The Prime Minister highlighted the new sanctions package, which should include, among other measures, restrictions on Russian LNG imports, the shadow fleet's activities, transaction bans for banks, and a ban on tourism services. A large share of these measures must also be extended to Belarus.

On the topic of enlargement, Michal underlined that Ukraine and Moldova must move forward quickly with their accession to the European Union.

On Thursday, Kristen Michal co-chaired a roundtable on security and resilience together with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Among the participants were also Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Secretaries-General of NATO and the OSCE.

At the roundtable, the Prime Minister stated that Estonia is not only supporting Ukraine - Ukraine is also supporting us with its drone warfare experience, which makes it possible to counter threats more cheaply and effectively. "Another important topic was the readiness of our societies for different hybrid situations: we need to strengthen cooperation and increase our capacity to prevent and counter crimes that undermine the self-confidence of our societies, such as recruitment and influence activities conducted online. By acting together, we are protecting both our security and our democratic values," Michal said.

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