On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the British and the French plan to send their troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement, even if the U.S. does not agree too.

Michal said Estonia will keep step with its allies on this issue.

"I have said before as well that if our allies go, Estonia will not be left behind," he said. "This means that we will ask the parliament for a mandate on the matter, and we will certainly take part."

ERR asked the four opposition parties for their view on Friday.

Only Isamaa supports sending troops to Ukraine

Isamaa Chairman Urmas Reinsalu said the party is "open" to the idea.

"Naturally, when it comes to security issues, Isamaa supports all steps by the government that are appropriate to take, and it is certainly important to consider all practical aspects in cooperation with allies. I think it is clear that if the allies make this decision jointly, then Estonia cannot stay on the sidelines," he said.

"It is important, of course, that this peace be of substantial quality — this is in the interest of all the peoples of Europe. Secondly, it is also important to keep in mind that we are indeed talking about a deterrent force after the signing of a peace agreement, to prevent the recurrence of future military conflict. This is not about sending Estonian soldiers into actual combat at present, and that needs to be emphasized," he added.

Center Party backs Finland's stance

Chairman of the Centre Party's parliamentary faction Lauri Laats said more information is needed and Michal is moving too fast.

"Firstly, before making any decisions or taking positions, even from the prime minister's point of view, one should understand how far and in what manner these negotiations will proceed," Laats said.

"Of course, we all hope that this war ends, or at least that peace is signed. But looking at the current process and developments, as many experts have also pointed out, there is not much hope," he told ERR.

"Would we support this position – rather not," Laats said. "I think border countries should remain focused on guarding and defending their borders, just as the Finnish prime minister also pointed out. We rather support that position."

The faction leader also questions what happens if something happens to Estonia's soldiers while they are in Ukraine. "Then we would, as a small country, be dragged into a war, and that is something we definitely do not want," he said.

SDE: Decision hinges on fully adopting EDF chief's advice

Social Democratic Party Chairman Lauri Läänemets said the prerequisite for sending soldiers to Ukraine is the full implementation of the military advice given by the commander of the Defence Forces.

The former interior minister also raised concerns about what would happen to Estonian soldiers if a conflict were to break out in the region.

"This is not nearly as simple as the prime minister makes it out to be. The issue is not whether Estonian soldiers go to Ukraine to keep the peace – if we are talking about sending them to a conflict zone to maintain peace – but rather what happens, and what Estonia does, if those soldiers come under attack, if the region comes under attack. Do we then open fire on Russia, do we die there, and are we at war with Russia? That is the core question that must be answered," he said.

The issue needs to be debated in the Riigikogu, he said, adding the prime minister should not express such positions without consulting the National Defence Committee.

"Making such a decision requires 100 percent implementation of the military advice from the Defence Forces commander and, at a minimum, according to the timeline proposed by the commander. Perhaps even faster, because it increases the likelihood of Estonia entering a military conflict many times over. That is the condition that must be met first," Läänemets said.

He believes the government is not willing to fully implement the commander's advice.

"When I asked the prime minister during last week's information session whether, for example, the planned ammunition purchase — €1.6 billion — is being considered for acceleration from a seven-year timeline to a three-year one, as the Defence Forces commander has now recommended, the prime minister evaded the answer. I assume the government is not ready to implement the commander's advice one hundred percent. Which means that, in this light, we are not in a position to even consider going to Ukraine together with our allies," Läänemets said.

EKRE repeatedly ruled out sending troops to Ukraine

Chairman of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) Martin Helme has repeatedly ruled out deploying Estonian units to Ukraine as peacekeepers.

In February, Helme categorically ruled out sending units to Ukraine.

"Absolutely not! Even opening such a discussion is, in my opinion, dangerous, harmful, and foolish for Estonia," he told ERR at the time.

He said decisions will be made by "the great powers," meaning bigger countries.

"The great powers will make decisions without us anyway, but they cannot decide for us that we, as a frontline state with Russia, must also go and take on the responsibility of defending another frontline state. Such megalomania should not be allowed by people with common sense in broad daylight," Helme said.

Saks: Europe is trying to make itself a part of the peace process

Security expert Rainer Saks told ERR there is not yet a concrete plan to send troops to Ukraine. Therefore, it is too early to talk about which units could be deployed or what they would do there.

He said Europe is trying to make itself a participant in the peace process.

"Kristen Michal stated very precisely that if the terms of a peace agreement are known, then Estonia's position will be shaped accordingly. That the fundamental readiness is there, but he must seek permission from parliament," Saks said. "I understand it as meaning that nothing concrete is currently being planned."

He noted that the United Kingdom and France are trying to maintain pressure on both Russia and the United States.

"In the sense that otherwise Europe is not part of this peace process. Europe must, in some way, through some contribution, make itself part of this peace process. That's what they are currently working toward, because the U.S. has said it does not intend to deploy its troops to Ukraine for peacekeeping," he said.

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