"In order to retain the credibility of Kaja Kallas' government and the quality of national defense management, it would be sensible for the defense minister to take responsibility, as was suggested in the Riigikogu group today, Vaga wrote in an email to fellow party members.

Vaga claimed that the first public comment by Gen. Martin Herem as to the necessity of €1.6 billion in additional defense funding that he could find was from January 14 (Ministry of Defense Permanent Secretary Kusti Salm appeared alongside Gen. Herem to tell Vikerraadio about it back in November of last year – ed.) and that the plan was presented to the Riigikogu National Defense Committee in detail on May 9 and to the Reform Party's foreign and security policy working group on June 3.

"In summary – while it was necessary to discuss this matter at the level of the government, Salm and Herem claim that the defense minister has knowingly kept the matter off the agenda. Kaja [Kallas] says that she only read about it in the paper," Vaga wrote.

The Reform Party MP said that the abrupt resignations of Kusti Salm, Martin Herem and several other high-ranking EDF members (referring to Gen. Veiko-Vello Palm who was Herem's pick for his replacement as EDF head – ed.) are signs of chaos in the administrative area.

"I sincerely hope we all understand that continuing to publicly clash with them would amount to politicians arguing against experts in which situations politicians usually tend to lose," Vaga said, giving the example of EKRE head Martin Helme who went after Herem before the 2023 Riigikogu elections which ended up hurting his party's result.

Vaga added that the €1.6 billion plan was no one person's brain child but a collaborative work of defense experts, and that the incoming EDF chief Gen. Andrus Merilo has also been involved.

"This means that Merilo will continue to say the same thing as a military advisor to politicians, while the Russian military apparatus will also keep churning. We need clear and carefully considered decisions."

Vaga told ERR Friday afternoon that he did not leak the letter meant for Reform Party members to the press.

"I want Estonia's national defense to continue growing stronger and for these recent spats to be resolved in a way that would reinforce our national defense instead of weakening it."

The politician also said that he has received a lot of positive feedback from fellow Reform members since sending the letter, adding that he has not spoken to Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur yet.

Vaga could not say what happens next, but noted that Reform MPs plan to discuss the matter next Wednesday.

EDF head Gen. Martin Herem and Ministry of Defense Permanent Secretary Kusti Salm, both of whom have by now tendered their resignations, said they've asked the government for an extra €1.6 billion for munitions purchases, which politicians have been reluctant to provide. PM Kaja Kallas claimed she first read about the additional need for funding from the newspaper.

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