Today 25 March, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and his Latvian and Lithuanian colleagues met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss cooperation on strengthening transatlantic relations and achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine. It was the first high-level meeting between a representative of Estonia and a member of the new US administration.
At the meeting, Foreign Minister Tsahkna thanked the United States for its contribution to the security of our region. “Years of security assistance and the presence of rotating US troops in the Baltic States boost our deterrence and defence posture and help maintain peace in the region and beyond,” Tsahkna said.
He added that Estonia was serious about defending itself, spending 3.7% of GDP on defence this year and, following a government decision, raising it to 5% of GDP next year. “Right now, we are matching every dollar invested by the USA in Estonia’s security with 12 dollars to our defence budget,” Tsahkna noted.
The foreign minister added that at the NATO summit this June, Allies must agree on a new and ambitious defence spending target. “In the current security situation and considering the fact that Russia is and remains the most serious threat, it is fair to expect European Allies to significantly increase their defence spending,” the minister said.
He also noted that the strong alliance of Estonia and the United States went beyond defence, referring to the assistance provided by the USA in the process of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania desynchronising from the Russian electricity grid.
“Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war, Estonia has taken decisive steps to reduce our dependence on Russia. In addition to desynchronising from the Russian electricity grid, Estonia has completely phased out the import of energy carriers, which underpin Russia’s economy,” Tsahkna said.
The meeting included in-depth discussions on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, with Tsahkna highlighting the peace efforts of the United States.
“The proposal for a 30-day ceasefire made in Jeddah a couple of weeks ago clearly shows that both the USA and Ukraine are committed to achieving peace,” Tsahkna said. “However, Russia has shown it is not ready for peace because it is continuing its brutal attacks against Ukraine.”
The foreign minister said it was important to continue military assistance to Ukraine on the one hand, and economic pressure on Russia on the other.
“A just and lasting peace is possible only if Russia gives up on its goal of destroying Ukraine and restructuring the security architecture of Europe. Sanctions and the mobilisation of the frozen sovereign assets of Russia are key levers here,” Tsahkna said.
Tsahkna said that a strong transatlantic bond had ensured security and economic prosperity in both Europe and the United States for decades and Estonia was committed to maintaining and developing that bond. “In recent months, Europe has taken decisive steps to increase defence investments and develop defence capabilities, which boosts collective defence and helps us face challenges together,” Tsahkna said.
Pictures of the event are available here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/estonian-foreign-ministry/hcd210DmL5