Foreign Minister: Estonia can be content with outcome of NATO summit
After this week's NATO summit in The Hague, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said Estonia can be satisfied with the outcome.
During a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on the margins of the summit, Tsahkna also thanked the United States for the efforts that led last week to the release of Estonian citizen Allan Roio from a Belarusian prison. Tsahkna added that the presence of U.S. troops in the Baltic states is an important part of deterring Russia – which poses the greatest threat to NATO – and guaranteeing peace in Europe.
"At the summit in The Hague, NATO Allies made a historic decision to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP. This decision will make it possible to finance the agreed NATO defense plans and capability targets and to counter all threats facing NATO Allies, the most serious and long-term of which is Russia," Tsahkna said.
According to the minister, Estonia will reach that goal next year. He also expressed hope that other Allies would act as a matter of urgency to strengthen the deterrence and defense posture.
The summit reaffirmed the full commitment of NATO Allies to collective defense under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which means that an attack on one Ally is an attack on all. The Allies also expressed their continued support for Ukraine.
"The strong and long-term support of the Allies for strengthening Ukraine's armed forces and defense industry continues, and Ukraine's path to NATO is irreversible," Tsahkna said.
At the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council held in the margins of the summit with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Tsahkna stressed the need to continue exerting strong pressure on Russia in addition to supporting Ukraine.
"With its daily brutal attacks on Ukraine's civilian population, Russia shows that the pressure on Russia to end the war has not yet been sufficient. Decisive action is needed to achieve a just and lasting peace," Tsahkna said.
On the margins of the summit, the foreign minister also spoke in the NATO Public Forum public debate "Making our Societies More Robust, Ready and Resilient."
In 2016–2017, we saw 120,000 Russian troops ready to go on the other side of the Estonian border.
— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) June 24, 2025
Today, those troops are gone — literally dead in Ukraine.
Ukraine is fighting instead of us & @NATO would be stronger with Ukraine as its member.#NATOsummit #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/YxCfhpPsl7
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Editor: Michael Cole
