Estonia intends to change the structure of military aid to Ukraine, emphasizing the production of necessary goods in Estonian enterprises, stated Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.
According to the Estonian agency ERR, the defense minister said,
"Estonia intends to restructure the military assistance provided to Ukraine so that it predominantly features products from Estonian companies."
"We told Ukraine that we will give what we [ourselves] produce and will clearly direct this money into the Estonian economy, into the Estonian defense industry. Therefore, we are currently in negotiations with the Ukrainians regarding our capabilities," the defense minister was quoted as saying.
According to Pevkur, the Estonian defense industry is capable of producing goods worth more than EUR 100 million per year. Currently, efforts are underway to clarify Ukraine's needs to tailor the products accordingly.
"Do they primarily want demining, shipbuilding, drones, or surveillance devices? We have conveyed our capabilities to Ukraine and are now trying to find a reasonable compromise that takes their priorities and our production capabilities into account," said the defense minister.
In 2023, Estonia provided approximately EUR 100 million in aid to Ukraine, which represents 0.25% of the country's GDP.
