Speaking at a press conference in Washington after a meeting with his U.S, Latvian and Lithuanian counterparts on Friday, Pevkur highlighted the "hot summer day" and extended an invitation to Hegseth to visit next year

"Let me start with unusual remark that – and start with the invitation to you to come to Estonia in the coldest time of the year, in January, as we have the Allied exercise winter camp," he said.

"And there is a possibility where we could jump in together with our troops into the ice-cold water. So you are more than welcome to visit our troops and your own troops and to jump into the frozen lake."

Hegseth replied: "I'll give you a solid maybe on the frozen lake."

"Well, let's see. How about that?" Pevkur laughed.

Around 600 U.S. troops are based in Estonia on a rotational basis, predominantly at Reedo barracks in Võru County.

Latvia's Minister of Defense Andris Sprūds also took the opportunity to invite the defense secretary to visit his country.

"You are also welcome to Latvia to check the icy waters, to compare the waters in [the] three Baltic countries," he said.

Hegseth did not seem overly enthusiastic, replying: "Very good."

During the official visit, the defense secretary praised the Baltic states for raising their defense spending to 5 percent of GDP and for hosting U.S. troops.

The Estonian Defense Forces host the annual Exercise Winter Camp (Talvelaager) every January.

It allows NATO allies who usually operate in warmer climates to train in winter conditions. The course usually involves a dunk in an ice hole.

A similar course is held by the Estonian Military Academy for cadets.

"In Estonia, winter lasts approximately six months, so we must be prepared to defend our country even in cold and wet conditions," winter warfare course instructor Capt. Reigo Kullamaa said.

The video below shows the experience for British soldiers in 2021.

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