Uncertainty remains over delayed U.S. weapons deliveries to Estonia

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur says U.S. weapons shipments to Estonia are on their way, but he still cannot give exact dates. Matthew E. Wall, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy, likewise did not mention any timelines, stressing instead that the key issue is greater allied contributions to NATO's defense capability.
It was previously revealed that U.S. deliveries have been delayed due to the war involving Iran, directly affecting Estonia's procurement of HIMARS and Javelin systems. These have not yet arrived, but Pevkur confirmed that an agreement on their delivery has been reached.

"Today [Thursday] I also met with [U.S. Department of Defense] Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel L. Zimmerman. We went over everything again, and the vast majority should now be settled. Some elements are still directly affected by Iran's actions, but the main agreements are in place," Pevkur said, adding that he cannot yet discuss exact dates and that, with the political agreement reached, the matter now depends on logistics.
The U.S. has also pledged to reduce its military presence in Europe more broadly, including on NATO's eastern flank. For example, after completing its rotation, the U.S. has begun withdrawing 1,000 troops from Lithuania.
Pevkur said it is certain that the 700 U.S. troops stationed in Estonia will not leave entirely — something previously confirmed and reiterated by Zimmerman.
"The U.S. presence in Eastern European countries will not disappear. The question is what exact capabilities will remain and how large the presence will be," Pevkur explained.

U.S. Embassy deputy chief of mission Matthew E. Wall also did not provide dates, emphasizing that defense cooperation involves many moving parts.
"We are working to deepen cooperation in the defense field, and ultimately Estonia is a great partner — and I think Estonians would say the same about us," Wall said.
Wall did not go into detail about U.S. troops on the eastern flank, noting that these issues will be discussed at next week's NATO summit in Ankara.
"This is a bigger question than just two dates — when U.S. weapons arrive in Estonia or whether anything will be decided about troop deployments. The point is that allies must take more responsibility and spend five percent on defense," Wall said.
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Editor: Argo Ideon












