At a meeting with Sen. Joni Earnst, R-Iowa, a member of the Committee on Armed Services, and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, a member of the Committee on Armed Services and the Select Committee on Intelligence, Mikser thanked the U.S. for its long-term contributions to Estonia's security, spokespeople for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

"The U.S. is our important ally and Estonia is confident that the U.S. will continue to contribute to assuring security in Europe," Mikser said. "We also understand the expectations of the U.S. and are glad to acknowledge that the decline of defense spending in Europe has stopped and many allies are decisively increasing their defense spending."

The Estonian minister stressed that cyber security is one of the dimensions of guaranteeing security and that its importance cannot be underestimated. "Cyber defense has become an inseparable part of the security concept and international cooperation is necessary here," said Mikser. "Estonia is prepared to further strengthen cooperation with the U.S. in the cyber field and share our experiences with dealing with cyber threats."

Mikser also affirmed the importance of transatlantic relations. "A united EU is in the interests of the U.S.," he explained. "Europe can effectively contribute to the fight against terrorism and to solving global crises only when it is strong."

At their meeting, the Estonian minister and the senators also discussed the importance of free trade in the relationship between the EU and the U.S. Other discussion topics included hybrid threats as well as the need to avert Russian propaganda and information operations.