Tallinn also backed an increase in NATO’s co-financing within the framework of the alliance’s decisions until 2030
Estonia expects all NATO members to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence. Küllike Sillaste-Elling, Estonia’s ambassador to NATO, said this on Saturday ahead of the alliance’s summit in Brussels on June 14.
“Estonia follows the two percent rule – we expect this from other allies as well, we also support increased NATO co-financing as part of the alliance’s decisions until 2030”, – she said in a statement released by the foreign ministry. – “The promises and decisions made at previous summits remain valid, including the allies’ commitment to spend more on defence to ensure that NATO remains militarily strong and effective.”
Rein Tamsaar, Estonian Foreign Ministry Vice Chancellor for Foreign Affairs, also said, “Estonia’s priorities at the summit in Brussels are to reaffirm the allies’ unity and full support of the United States for security and collective defence in the Euro-Atlantic area as well as NATO’s decisions to further strengthen defence and deterrence.
The Estonian Foreign Ministry also expects the alliance’s summit participants to confirm that “NATO’s open door policy will continue.”
NATO leaders at the June 14 summit in Brussels will discuss countering Russia and China, as well as cooperation with Ukraine and Georgia, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said June 11. They will also discuss increasing military spending, countering terrorism, cyber and hybrid attacks, defending against attacks in space, enhancing NATO’s military and technical superiority and combating sexual violence in military conflicts.