Estonia Considers Sending Troops to Support Ukraine in Non-Combat Roles

Estonia’s government has engaged in “serious” discussions regarding sending troops to western Ukraine. These forces would assume non-combat, logistical roles to free up Ukrainian soldiers for frontline combat, stated Estonian National Security Advisor Madis Roll.

Roll’s remarks followed statements from the head of Estonia’s Armed Forces, General Martin Herem, who previously said that there were internal military discussions months ago regarding the potential deployment of troops to western Ukraine for roles such as medical services, logistics, or air defense in certain western cities.

Madis Roll emphasized their preference for a NATO-led mission “to show broader combined strength and determination”. However, he left open the possibility of collaborating with a smaller coalition.

“Discussions are ongoing,” Security Advisor said. “We should be looking at all the possibilities. We shouldn’t have our minds restricted as to what we can do.”

Roll, speaking on May 10, pointed out that NATO members currently opposed to troop deployment might reconsider their stance over time, saying that this scenario is “not unthinkable as time goes on”.

This follows Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė expressing the willingness to send Lithuanian troops to Ukraine for training purposes.

“If we just thought about the Russian response, then we could not send anything. Every second week you hear that somebody will be nuked”, said Šimonytė.

The potential deployment of Western troops to Ukraine has opened the door to a debate, ignited by the French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments, suggesting such a course of action might be necessary in the future.