Put simply, this means that if Estonia were completely cut off by air, land and sea in the event of war, the country must be able to manage on its own for at least 30 days without external connections. At the same time, people in Estonia themselves are expected to be prepared to cope independently for at least seven days.

This helps ensure the principle that by preparing to win a war and handle the most severe crises, Estonia is also ready to deal with crises of a lesser impact.

The strategic document outlining the foundations of Estonia's security policy was last updated in 2023. Since then, the international security situation has changed significantly, which is why work began last autumn to update the document.

The document and its explanatory memorandum, uploaded to the draft legislation information system on Thursday afternoon, state that the greatest security threat to Estonia and the entire Euro-Atlantic security area remains Russia, "whose imperialist policy of aggression aims to undermine and reshape Europe's security architecture and the rules-based world order and restore its sphere of influence."

Changes following US interests boosting Europe's role

Addressing the security environment, the document notes that over the past three years the international security landscape has become more unpredictable and that the rules-based world order is under pressure. This also alludes to the United States' changed approach to alliances, and as a result the document envisions a greater role for Europe itself in ensuring its own security — something the U.S. has also advocated.

"Long-term trends in Europe's security architecture, along with changes in the strategic interests and attitudes of the United States, have led to a situation that requires European countries to assume greater responsibility and take action to ensure collective security, including rapidly increasing defense spending and meeting NATO capability targets," the explanatory memorandum states.

The document also repeatedly highlights China's role. On the one hand, it points to China's support for Russia's aggression against Ukraine, alongside North Korea, Belarus and Iran. On the other, it emphasizes China's growing global influence in the fields of economy and technology, which has helped it assert itself more strongly on the international stage.

Principle of active defense: Taking the fight to the enemy

Compared with the previous document drafted in 2023, the new strategy paper introduces the principle of "active defense." This does not mean that the earlier principle of "territorial defense" has been abandoned; rather, the aim is to ensure that combat operations do not take place on Estonian soil.

Put simply, the new approach means that Estonia would not cede its territory to an adversary and then attempt to reclaim it, but would instead take the war onto the attacker's territory. This would also be expected to reduce civilian casualties.

The explanatory memorandum describes the change as follows: "Military defense is based on the principle of active defense, whereby active measures are employed against enemy forces to prevent or hinder an attack or reduce its effectiveness, including deep strikes on the enemy's territory. Territorial defense still plays an important role, but the objective is to ensure that combat operations do not take place on Estonian soil."

Although Finland joined NATO in April 2023 and Sweden in March 2024, the updated security document — like its 2023 predecessor — states that the Baltic states constitute a single operational area.

In the subsection on vital services, the document highlights that the functioning of society depends on essential services and crisis resilience, and also underscores the role of Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR).

"The essential needs of Estonia's population include the availability of vital services, above all energy and communications, as well as food, fuel, healthcare services and public-service media."

How national security policy is updated

The previous foundations of Estonia's security policy were adopted in 2023. These principles are supplemented or amended in line with changes in the security environment and Estonia's capacity to ensure its security, but each composition of the Riigikogu updates them at least once. As a result, the foundations of security policy are revised at least every four years.

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