Last month, Estonian lawmakers proposed changes that would allow citizens of other NATO member states who belong to the Defense League to take on voluntary military service obligations and serve in wartime posts that require a military rank.

The legislation, backed by 53 members of the Riigikogu in June, was meant to strengthen the readiness of both the Defense League and the armed forces by giving foreign members a clear legal pathway to participate in Estonia's defense.

The amendments would not have imposed conscription on NATO citizens. Instead, it proposed an opt‑in system for those over 18 who have taken the military oath.

The changes would also have established a legal basis for appointing NATO citizens to wartime positions, which would improve planning for training, command structures and equipment distribution.

However, after reviewing the document, the Ministry of Defense said it did not support the plan.

Lack of clarity

"It is important to emphasise that the Ministry of Defense fully supports the idea of involving citizens of allied countries in Estonia's national defense. However, we cannot support the proposed solution, which requires considerably more thorough consideration and further development of the bill," said Roland Murof, deputy director of the Ministry of Defense's strategic communications department.

The ministry said the distinction between different categories of Defense League membership must not be blurred.

"The main difference between an active member and a supporting member is that a supporting member does not participate actively in military training and is not assigned a wartime position. Therefore, situations where the substantive distinction between Defense League membership categories disappears and members with different statuses, levels of training and health requirements begin carrying out the same tasks must be avoided," the ministry said.

Additionally, Murof said: "We cannot assign wartime duties to Defense League supporting members who lack the necessary training and do not meet the established health requirements. That is dangerous both for the individual and for the fulfilment of the task."

Secondly, the ministry believes that the obligations, guarantees and responsibilities of those who would be involved are unclear.

'Active member status'

Thirdly, the ministry argues the state must have a clear legal right and the ability to carry out thorough background checks on foreign nationals entering Estonia's national defence in order to mitigate security risks.

"To address these concerns, the Ministry of Defense proposes creating a separate active member status in the Defense League for foreign nationals. This would ensure that people contributing to national defence meet clear health, training and reliability requirements and have undergone security screening," Murof said.

The ministry also drew attention to the need to mitigate potential security risks. For example, a solution is needed for situations where a citizen of a NATO member state volunteers for service in Estonia during peacetime but poses a security threat.

"The Ministry of the Interior has also pointed out that the person concerned may not have any previous criminal convictions, but may be linked to extremist or terrorist organisations, organised crime, be ideologically radicalised or suspected of offences against the state. Given that the person is a foreign national, Estonian authorities may have only limited information about their background," the ministry said.

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