March 18, 2023
Estonia, a country of 1.4 million people bordering Russia, is one of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine. It’s also one of the West’s front line states facing an increasingly aggressive Russia.
Before Russia launched its all-out war, Estonia was among the handful of countries that provided Ukraine with military aid, including anti-tank missiles and financial support.
Since February 2022, Estonia has been among the frontrunners in supporting Ukraine, making it Kyiv’s largest donor in terms of percentage of GDP.
In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Independent, Hanno Pevkur, the Estonian defense minister, talked about the threat Russia poses to Estonia and why his country is so eager to support Ukraine.
According to Pevkur, Estonia and other NATO members are responsible for assisting Ukraine because it’s fighting for the free world. That’s why the Estonian army has trained Ukrainian soldiers, including infantry soldiers, sharpshooters, and medics, and provided over 370 million euros in aid.
Even though the Russian campaign in Ukraine has sputtered and failed to meet most of its military and political objectives, according to Pevkur, the war is far from over, and heavy artillery and long fire is still much needed for Ukraine.
“We made an initiative that we should procure together one million rounds for 155-millimeter howitzers,” says Pevkur, adding that his country, together with allies, is constantly looking to do more.
Estonia, home to around 300,000 Russian speakers, is also constantly on alert when it comes to combating Russian influence.
“We all understand that Russia is still capable of threatening NATO because they still have enough firepower,” says Pevkur.
“The threat is still there.”
“Russian army has not changed in 100 years”
Mafia generals will never be able to fight a modern war as the Ukrainians are doing. They are hopelessly lost in the world of fascism, crime and Potemkin.