Estonia says defense spending in the country should be increased to 5% of GDP
Estonia should raise the country's defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP). Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said on Tuesday, January 21.
"Our key security partner with the new US president [Donald Trump] has sent a clear message: defense spending by NATO must increase. We know our adversary, and I fully agree - our target should be 5%," Mihal wrote on his social media page X (formerly Twitter).
He noted that Estonia's goal for 2026 is 3.7%, adding that investments should be accelerated. Mihal ruled out new taxes and pointed out that financing should be increased through European Union (EU) funds, cuts in public sector spending and loans.
Earlier, on December 25, 2024, the British publication Independent said that Finland, Latvia and Estonia said they were unable to confront Russia without US involvement. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal indicated that NATO needs to strengthen its defense capabilities.
Before that, on November 30 of the same year, a NATO naval group of six ships, including British, Norwegian, French, Dutch and Belgian, arrived in the Estonian capital Tallinn. According to the head of the Estonian Navy, Ivo Värk, the group acts as the "main strike fist" of the naval forces of the military-political bloc. He also noted that the ships' stay in Estonia is linked to NATO's "regional defense plans."
