The Madrid Summit provided confirmation that Estonia can always trust in the support of its allies and that the alliance’s decisiveness in regard to protecting its own territory is unwavering. All NATO members understand that Russia has become the biggest security threat to the alliance, which is why we need to significantly bolster our defence and deterrence position. This means increasing the level of NATO military activity in the air, on land and at sea and guaranteeing the heightened preparedness of its forces. Our shared objective and efforts must ensure that the aggressor never doubts for a second that it will be immediately and irrevocably defeated the minute it sets foot on NATO soil.
Historical decisions were made at the summit in regard to Estonia and our wider region. NATO officially invited our neighbours Finland and Sweden to join the alliance, granting NATO significant strategic strength in the Baltic Sea region, leaving all of our countries even better protected and enabling security policy and military cooperation in the region to be taken to a new level.
The decisions made in Madrid will also take Estonia’s defence capabilities to a new level. Working with our allies, we are drawing up plans for a division-sized unit and its management structure to defend Estonia in the event of any threat. This is an important forward step. Moreover, the United Kingdom has decided to appoint an additional brigade for the defence of Estonia, the integration unit and some of the subunits of which will be based in the country. The further forces deployed to Estonia at the start of the war instigated by Russia will also remain in the country, including the increased number of fighter jets currently stationed in Ämari.
The decision taken by the United States to substantially bolster its presence in Europe is one we consider very important. The regular posting of US units with their defence capabilities to the Baltic States is not only required for military reasons, but also to provide clear confirmation of America’s involvement in and dedication to the defence of our region.
No less important is the allies’ robust and unified show of support for Ukraine at the Madrid Summit. The Ukrainians must win this war. The decision was made to provide additional support to the beleaguered country, which is defending not only itself against military aggression but the right of every country to make its own choices and decide on its own future.
However, Madrid was not the end point, but a stop along the way on the alliance’s ongoing journey to maintain our collective security. The decisions resulting from the summit will require a great deal of effort on the part of our allies, but also significant obligations for Estonia. Among other things, we will have to guarantee the conditions necessary for hosting additional forces by constructing barracks, storage facilities for emplaced equipment and areas in which training and exercises can be carried out. All of this will demand serious work from the parliament, the government and local authorities and require the support of everyone in Estonia if the steps necessary to defend security in our country and our region are to be taken. It is clear that introducing new measures will not be a matter of days or months, but of years. That is why a broader social contract is needed that will ensure a consistent approach and the resources required to implement the agreements made in Madrid.
