The Foreign Affairs Committee and the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu met with the delegation of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence of the Parliament of Norway.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson welcomed his Norwegian colleagues and said that Russia's aggression against Ukraine continued to be a priority for us.

"There is also a war going on in the Middle East, and we see connections between them. If we lose in Ukraine, we will lose everywhere, including in the Middle East," Mihkelson said.

He pointed out that Russia's as well as China's strategic goals were for the long term, and that Russia's position was strong enough to continue pursuing these goals for a long time and to do so at the cost of the well-being of its people.

"Russia's aim is to end the hegemony of the USA and to destroy the security architecture of Europe. Next year, they will spend 60 percent of their state budget on war, and this is only the public part of military expenses. The Allies must not underestimate that," the MP stated.

The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee underlined that Norway's assistance to Ukraine was of great value, but noted that the allies still did not have a common vision of what the end of this war should be.

"The Ukrainians have a strong will to fight, but they need technology and ammunition. Our assistance must remain steadfastly strong. It is also important that Sweden became a member of NATO as soon as possible," he said.

Deputy Chairman of the National Defence Committee Leo Kunnas (EKRE) and member of the National Defence Committee Meelis Kiili (Reform), as well as members of the Foreign Affairs Committee Eerik-Niiles Kross (Reform) and Anti Poolamets (EKRE) also participated in the meeting.

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