Ukraine to get €100 million worth of military procurement aid from Estonia
The Estonian state now has a priority list for procuring defense aid to Ukraine, from Estonia's own domestic defense industries, the Ministry of Defense said.
This follows Ukraine on Friday having officially submitted to Estonia its list of required military aid, which will total €100 million in value.
The selection includes drones, unmanned ground vehicles, watercraft, medical equipment, and other supplies provided by Estonian defense companies.
Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur said via a press release: "We agreed last year that both this year and the next, we will provide military aid to Ukraine worth 0.25 percent of our annual GDP, using products from Estonia's defense industry. It was gratifying to see that many Estonian manufacturers participated and offered their products. Today, we received feedback from Ukraine, which allows us to deliver the aid to them as quickly as possible."
Katri Raudsepp, Chair of the Ukraine Support Measure Expert Committee and Deputy Director General of the Center for Defense Investments (RKIK), responsible for defense procurements in Estonia, said: "I am delighted with the high standard and broad range of Estonia's defense industry. The next step is for the Estonian Center for Defense Investments to swiftly conclude procurement contracts for the products selected by Ukraine, ensuring the necessary materials reach them without delay."
For reasons of national security, specific details, quantities, and delivery times of the procurements cannot be disclosed, the defense ministry said.
Estonia is to continue supporting Ukraine with military aid amounting to at least 0.25 percent of GDP annually, increasing this amount by an additional quarter of a percent for this year, while also providing direct military material aid and supporting the training of Ukrainian armed forces.
Estonia co-chairs the IT Coalition for Ukraine together with Luxembourg and is working with the Baltic and Nordic countries to equip and train a brigade-sized Ukrainian unit by the end of this year, while also investing in measures that enable Estonian companies to contribute to a Ukrainian victory.
In late 2024, the RKIK launched a Ukraine support measure, offering nearly 500 products and services from 100 Estonian companies for Ukraine's defense forces.
With changing priorities in the US, Europe is taking an even more prominent role in supporting Ukraine.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
