ISTANBUL
Estonian President Alar Karis said in Brussels that his country is prepared to send troops to Ukraine as part of the Coalition of the Willing if the group approves such a step, while also pledging Estonia’s participation in the US-backed PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) initiative to jointly purchase American-made weapons for Kyiv.
“The US-NATO initiative to arm PURL is excellent in this regard. I want to emphasize today that Estonia fully supports this initiative. And we will gladly participate in these efforts. Estonia will continue to support Ukraine in defending its freedom,” Karis said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to Ukrinform news agency.
He noted that Tallinn spent 0.3% of its GDP on direct military aid to Ukraine this year alone and pointed to growing cooperation between the Estonian and Ukrainian defense industries.
“The Estonian government is ready to send troops as part of the Coalition of the Willing to guarantee and secure peace in Ukraine. We continue to participate in this planning,” Karis added, stressing that a “well-guaranteed peace” is needed for the war to end.
The Estonian leader underlined the importance of keeping American troops stationed in Europe and said he plans to meet with the commander of US forces in Europe to discuss security issues.
He also argued that modern missile technologies diminish the significance of geographic proximity to Russia.