I am truly delighted to be here in Riga, in the Latvian National Library — a place that carries special symbolic meaning for us this year. As mentioned allready both Estonia and Latvia are celebrating the Year of the Book, and in honour of this we cycled together with Edgars this summer through the villages along our shared border.
Today we had an excellent and meaningful discussion with my Latvian and Lithuanian colleagues — one that once again demonstrated our deep mutual understanding.
Our regional security cooperation works very well and Estonia highly values the solidarity shown after Russia’s airspace violation in September. Russia’s activities — airspace violations, sabotage, jamming, the weaponisation of migration, and actions supporting its shadow fleet — remain real threats. This is why NATO and the EU must keep strong focus on our region’s security.
NATO’s air policing and air defence missions in the Baltic States will be strenthened further and we work together towards that objective.
The strongest deterrence comes from reinforced NATO collective defence, sanctions pressure on Russia, and continued military support to Ukraine. We value long-term U.S. commitment, while European allies have to step up with higher defence spending and leadership.
We support the new EU budget increases for defence. This is crucial for our security and the security of Europe. Eastern border countries need extra resources to bolster the border defences and fight off all Russia’s hybrid threats and incidents. We also have to invest more in cross-border connections — including military mobility — and make our critical infrastructure stronger and more resilient.
Any peace plan in Ukraine has to include clear demands for Russia and credible security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent the war from happening again. The Estonian government has shown its readiness to contribute to the security guarantees, including with boots on the ground. There can be no limits on Ukraine’s defence. And broader European security questions can only be shaped within NATO and the EU.
Dear colleges, Dear journalists, Allow me to turn for a moment to energy and transport issues.
Our successful desynchronisation from the Russian electricity grid is one of the major achievements of recent years. It proves how effectively the Baltic states can act together. We must continue making the case in Europe that Russian energy imports must be phased out, and it is equally important to keep our strong energy partnership with the United States. Around 65% of our region’s gas demand is met by U.S. LNG. Estonia is preparing new gas-fired capacity and slightly increasing imports. We are also analysing the possible use of alternative sources of energy.
Good connections between our countries strengthen our economy, our security, and daily life. Rail Baltica is extremely important for our whole region. And we must all accelerate its completion.
In closing, I wish our Latvian and Lithuanian friends, all members of the press, and everyone across our region a peaceful and hopeful Christmas season. Even in challenging times, may we find calm, unity, and strength in working together.
Thank you!
