Estonia plans to restructure its military aid to Ukraine, prioritizing the inclusion of products from Estonian defense companies, reported ERR, citing Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur on October 1.
Last year, Estonia provided Ukraine with military aid totaling approximately €100 million, which is a 0.25% of the country’s GDP. Estonia intends to continue this level of support in the coming years, but the composition of the aid will change.
“We are taking a completely new approach. We’ve informed Ukraine that we will be providing what we produce ourselves, directing these funds to Estonia’s economy and defense industry. We are now in talks with the Ukrainians to clarify our capabilities,” Pevkur said.
Pevkur estimates that Estonia’s defense industry is capable of producing over €100 million worth of goods annually. The range of products is broad and in demand. Currently, discussions are underway to better understand Ukraine’s needs and tailor Estonian production to meet them.
“We’re looking at whether they need demining equipment, shipbuilding, drones, or surveillance systems. We’ve provided Ukraine with information on our capabilities and are now trying to find a reasonable compromise that aligns their priorities with our production capabilities,” Pevkur explained.
Once Ukraine’s priorities are confirmed, Estonia plans to organize government tenders in which all eligible Estonian companies can participate.
Pevkur noted that all military products previously supplied to Ukraine have received positive feedback. He mentioned products such as battlefield analysis tools, drones from Threod, military boats, and anti-drone rifles produced by Rantelon as examples of Estonia’s contributions.
Earlier, Estonian President Alar Karis arrived in Kyiv for official visit.
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