At this week's NATO summit, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK government will buy at least 12 new US-made F-35A jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs "if necessary."

The new F-35A jets can still carry conventional weapons, but have the option of being equipped with US-made nuclear bombs.

The procurement was in "response to a growing nuclear threat," the BBC reported.

The United Kingdom's Royal Air Force fighter jets have undertaken multiple rotations at Ämari Air Base as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission, which guards Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania's airspace. The jets are currently stationed in Poland.

Pevkur said Estonia is ready to host allied aircraft with nuclear capabilities on its soil.

"The F-35s have already been in Estonia and will soon return again in rotation. We are ready to continue to host allies on our territory, including those who use such platforms," the minister told ERR on Friday (June 27).

He gave a similar comment to the newspaper Postimees on Thursday: "If some of them, regardless of the country, also have dual-capable nuclear weapons capability, that does not in any way change our position on hosting F-35s. Naturally, we are ready to host our allies." 

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