Pevkur dismissed accusations that Estonia had not chosen the most optimal procurement mechanism for acquiring ammunition — specifically, that state-to-state transactions would have been faster than joint procurements with multiple countries.

"That is a completely uninformed claim. The Estonian Center for Defense Investments (RKIK) employs highly skilled experts who select the most appropriate and necessary procurement method for each type of ammunition," the minister said on "Esimene stuudio."

"For example, we procure artillery shells together with Germany and air defense munitions also with Germany through the European Sky Shield Initiative, which provides us with better pricing and delivery conditions. For short-range air defense, we cooperate with Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway, which ensures faster deliveries," he added.

As a comparison, Pevkur recalled a past situation where Estonia had ordered 250,000 doses of bird flu vaccine, while Finland had ordered 10 million doses at the same time — resulting in Estonia's order being placed on hold. "With ammunition, we do not want to end up in a situation where our order is delayed. Instead, we collaborate with others to procure larger quantities, benefiting from economies of scale, which give us better prices and faster delivery times," the defense minister explained.

"We always choose the best and fastest method for acquiring ammunition. I can confirm that," he emphasized.

Pevkur's performance as defense minister has faced significant criticism in recent days, particularly regarding the slow utilization of defense funds. In his view, people should focus on national defense unity rather than political point-scoring.

"I would really like everyone who speaks on national defense matters to prioritize Estonia's national interests above all else. This political spectacle has gone too far. Estonia's defense requires certainty and stability. When you look at all the decisions made in the interest of national defense, we should be standing together — just as we have in the past — rather than seeking to score political points, as some have tried to do in recent days," the minister commented.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform Party) stated that Estonia's defense spending will exceed 5 percent of GDP in the coming years. According to Pevkur, the funding sources for this increase are quite clear.

"This primarily relates to the European Council's decision that if a country takes out a loan for defense spending up to 1.5 percent of GDP, it will not be counted towards budget balance calculations. This means that while Estonia's defense budget for next year was planned at around 3.7 percent of GDP, adding 1.5 percent brings us beyond 5 percent," he explained.

"There are European Union budget rules, but we also have defense needs. Our task is to meet the defense and capability requirements of the Estonian Defense Forces, and we will find all the necessary means to do so."

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