President Karis: Europe must contribute more to defence and sharing the burden

President Alar Karis met with his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb today to discuss transatlantic relations, military support for Ukraine and the reinforcement of defence in the Nordic-Baltic region and Europe as a whole.

The Estonian head of state stressed the importance and benefits of the transatlantic relationship to both the EU and USA. “That said, it is clear that Europe needs to contribute more to defence and to sharing the burden,” he cautioned. “It is important that the EU acts with unity and self-assurance. Europe needs to find its own strengths.”

President Karis said that he places great value on close defence and security cooperation with Finland, both bilaterally and within NATO.

The head of state also spoke with his Finnish counterpart about defence spending and the commitment of Estonian and Finnish citizens to defending their countries. “We are both investing a great deal in collective defence,” he noted. “Estonia’s defence spending was 3.4% of GDP in 2024. This year it will reach almost 4%, and it is more than likely that we will soon be aiming for 5%. But that is more than just a number: it is a concrete calculation of how much it will cost to meet the needs of NATO troops.”

Presidents Karis and Stubb also discussed Russia’s ongoing full-scale war in Ukraine. In the light of the debate around peace talks, the Estonian head of state said that the priorities are to provide Ukraine with even more comprehensive assistance – military in particular – and to do so more quickly, and to maintain pressure on Russia through sanctions. “A just and lasting peace can only be achieved if we support Ukraine as one in every way we can,” he remarked.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, President Karis stressed that among the many things which unite their countries is the willingness of their populations to defend their nations – which, according to the latest polls, is as high in Estonia as it is in Finland.

Their discussion also touched on the challenges facing the EU, primarily with regard to boosting defence capabilities, and ways of bolstering energy connections to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea and take steps against the shadow fleet. President Karis said that bilateral and EU-wide cooperation were also important in these areas.

Gallery: Raigo Pajula/Office of the President of the Republic https://www.flickr.com/photos/presidendikantselei/albums