Minister: Estonia 'in no doubt' US would help defend against Russian attack
Estonia has no doubt that the United States would come to its defensive aid, in the event of a Russian attack, Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said.
While on an official visit to Vilnius Thursday, Pevkur told Reuters: "Yes, I trust the U.S. and yes, I trust all our allies."
The U.S. needs Europe for its military as much as the reverse, Pevkur added. "I don't believe that NATO will collapse".
The minister likened NATO's current strains to a long marriage. "There are no 50 years of purely smooth sailing. You have differences and problems, and you need to work through them," he added.
Europe is, however, not ready to stand up militarily on its own as things stand, Pevkur noted.
"Are we there where we want to be? No", he said. "All of us [in NATO] need to invest more into defense," Pevkur went on, noting the majority of the alliance's member states are not sticking to last year's agreement to up spending to at least 5 percent of GDP per year.
This figure had already been floated before U.S. President Donald Trump started demanding it be met by all NATO states.
Estonia this year will slightly exceed that target, at 5.1 percent of GDP defense spend for this year, among the highest in NATO.
Russia has called allegations by European leaders that it could attack NATO as "nonsense".
Estonian intelligence warned in February that Russia is already stockpiling ammunition for future wars after the conflict in Ukraine ends.
Beyond Europe, Pevkur said NATO should focus on helping end the conflict in Iran, adding this could allow the U.S. to refocus on Ukraine.
"Once [Iran] is resolved, there is a chance to bring more U.S. focus towards Ukraine," he said. "For our region, that remains the main problem."
U.S. President Donald Trump this month threatened to pull the U.S. out of the alliance over European members' refusal to join the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which at peak time sees almost half the world's oil exports pass through it and which Iran had closed off, charging a toll for vessels to pass through.
Reuters also reported the U.S. is to delay weapons deliveries to some European countries as a result of stances on the Iran war.
According to Reuters sources, the deferred armaments include a variety of ammunition, including types that can be used for both offensive and defensive purposes.
As to the extent to which this would affect Estonia Pevkur said there were "some indications" it would, for instance in ammunition and other U.S.-procured systems such as FGM-148 Javelin
portable anti-tank systems and M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), but was unable to state things more precisely or put a timescale on it.
Lithuania's defense minister,t Robertas Kaunas, who Pevkur met with while in Vilnius, also said the Pentagon had informed him that deliveries of missile ammunition may be subject to holdups, due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Pevkur: Estonia, Lithuania defense spending a model for allies
The minister had been on a two-day state visit accompanying President Alar Karis and First Lady Sirje Karis.
In his meeting with Kaunas, Pevkur praised both countries' commitment to defense spending.
"Lithuania and Estonia are likely to be the largest contributors to the defense budget in NATO this year - our defense spending is over five percent of gross domestic product. Of course, we expect confirmation from the allies at the Ankara summit that they are also committed to meeting the budget goals," Pevkur said via a press release.
"We, like Lithuania, also consider it important to increase European defense readiness. A good example of this is the Eastern Flank Watch initiative for defense cooperation on the eastern flank of the European Union, where we cooperate very well with Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Finland, and Sweden," he went on.
The two ministers also compared how their countries train reservists, with Lithuania — after reintroducing conscription following the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia — showing interest in the Estonian approach. Pevkur said Estonia's model improves readiness by easing the economic burden of service, involving employers, and giving citizens practical ways to contribute.
A law passed earlier this year aims to streamline integration of reservists, conscripts and civilians working in the EDF into its activities.
A voluntary service will be created, allowing reservists to temporarily participate in EDF tasks without holding staff posts, in roles such as training of conscripts as instructors, manning of permanent readiness units and taking in international military operations.
The law also broadens the opportunities for conscripts to contribute to the Estonian Defense Forces' (EDF) activities for instance in in international naval operations. Civilian EDF employees and other public servants will now get the opportunity to take part in military exercises and undergo the necessary training, under the law.
An original provision requiring conscripts to have B1-level Estonian language proficiency was later omitted.
Editor's note: This article was updated to include comment from Pevkur on potential delays on U.S. arms deliveries, as a result of the conflict in Iran.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: Reuters
