Tsahkna at meeting with Rutte: increasing defence investment will ensure effective deterrence in the future

Tsahkna at meeting with Rutte: increasing defence investment will ensure effective deterrence in the future

According to the Foreign Minister, NATO has taken highly practical measures in recent years that demonstrate its readiness to defend Allies decisively and in accordance with NATO plans.

“During today’s visit, the NATO Secretary General emphasised what Estonia has consistently said: there are no Russian forces or other signs of preparations for an imminent military confrontation with NATO at NATO’s borders. At the same time, Russia is testing NATO Allies through acts of sabotage and cyberattacks, but the Alliance remains vigilant and united,” Tsahkna said.

“The Secretary General confirmed that NATO is ready and able to respond to any threat and defend every inch of Allied territory. Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which states that an attack against one Ally is an attack against all Allies, remains in force,” said Tsahkna. “NATO has demonstrated this repeatedly in recent years. It has responded to airspace violations and damage to critical infrastructure with concrete measures, confirming that the Alliance is ready to act.”

“Today, we also discussed with the NATO Secretary General how the Alliance can ensure that it remains capable of successfully countering threats in the future. Increasing defence investment by European Allies and Canada will enable NATO to meet its capability targets more quickly and strengthen its deterrence and defence posture,” the Foreign Minister said.

According to Tsahkna, the discussions also covered the expansion of defence industry production capacity, the application of lessons learned from Russia’s war against Ukraine, and further support for Ukraine.