Estonia boosts Ukraine aid; urges victory to avert Third World War
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Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur announced a new
military aid package worth EUR 20 million ($22 million) during his visit to
Kyiv, the Estonian Defense Ministry said on March 21, detailing Pevkur's communication
with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov.
The package includes:
- critically needed artillery installations to be deployed immediately
- anti-tank grenades
- explosives
- various types of mortars
- gas masks
- sniper equipment
- small-caliber ammunition and more.
"We put together the aid package to be maximally beneficial to Ukraine without compromising the combat readiness of the Estonian Defense Forces," said Pevkur.
The latest aid package includes 155-millimeter projectiles, serving as Estonia's additional contribution to the European Union's initiative to provide Ukraine with one million pieces of ammunition.
Part of the contribution will be financed by Denmark, with the exact amount undisclosed for security reasons, the Ministry said.
"The battlefield briefing we received from Defense Minister Umerov confirmed the necessity of our package but also sent a clear signal that Ukraine needs ammunition, all types of air defense elements, as well as spare parts for equipment and electronic warfare equipment to survive the summer," said Pevkur.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has also stressed her support for Ukraine's efforts, saying that Russia's defeat in Ukraine is necessary to avoid the onset of a Third World War, EUobserver reported on March 21.
"[If] Russia [were to] lose this war, then we don't have to worry about the Third World War," said Kallas.
She emphasized that she is not advocating for war.
"We want to have peace, but we want to have sustainable peace, and peace on Russia's terms is not sustainable," she said.
Reflecting on Europe's history, Kallas said that the difference between the start of the Second World War and what was happening now was that Ukraine was "fighting and standing".
"That's why the war hasn't progressed any further," she said.
"[But] if Ukraine falls, it's going to be all over Europe," she added.
Kallas earlier called on the European Union to brace itself for Russia's protracted war against Ukraine, asserting that the EU needs to devise a comprehensive strategy for "long-term resistance," particularly against the Kremlin's disinformation efforts.
Estonia delivered a EUR 80 million ($86 million) military aid package to Ukraine in February, featuring Javelin anti-tank missiles.
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