The Estonian Defense Ministry announced plans of the Baltic states to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP

The defense ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, at a meeting held at the Emari airbase, confirmed their intention to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP from 2026. This was reported by Postimees on May 23.

"Estonia's annual contribution to defense in the period 2026-2029 will amount to about 5.4%. Together with Latvia and Lithuania, we believe that in the current security situation, it is necessary to increase defense spending on NATO allies to 5% of GDP," the newspaper quotes the words of the head of the Estonian Defense Ministry, Hanno Pevkur.

He noted that, in addition to increasing defense spending, the Baltic states will focus on investments in the defense industry at the European Union (EU) level through a common lending mechanism.

The ministers also discussed the issue of the Baltic Defense Zone, which will be created within the framework of joint cooperation. They agreed to apply for EU funding for this project in the coming months.

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The High Representative of the UN Secretary General for the Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Angel Moratinos, said on May 23 that the militarization of the political thinking of a number of EU countries is a dangerous trend. He stressed that the European community was created with the aim of establishing peace and prosperity for the peoples living in these territories. However, now Europe contradicts the ideas of the founders of the community, as the union returns to the production of weapons and military equipment.