Estonian Prime Minister Says Gov't To Increase National Defense Expenditure By $429.4Mln

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday that the government agreed to raise national defense expenditures by 380 million euros ($429.4 million) amid a deterioration of the security situation in the Baltic region, prompting Tallinn to bolster its defense structure

HELSINKI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2022) Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday that the government agreed to raise national defense expenditures by 380 million Euros ($429.4 million) amid a deterioration of the security situation in the Baltic region, prompting Tallinn to bolster its defense structure.

The initiative raises Estonia's overall defense spending to 1.130 billion euros, according to the 2022 state budget plan adopted by the Estonian parliament, which allocated 750 million euros, or 2.3% of the country's gross domestic product, to defense.

"The government made a principled decision to increase national defense funding by 380 million euros so that we can act faster in the face of military and hybrid threats. We will spend a significant part of the additional funds on ensuring a sufficient amount of equipment. The goal of the government is to implement the plans soon," Kallas said in an address to the Estonian parliament, as quoted by the body's official website.

Kallas added that Russia will not have a say in NATO's decision-making process, and Estonia is making every effort so that the alliance is speaking a common language.

"However, there are no signs that Moscow plans to ease tension, and we must be prepared for Russia's continuation and display of military aggression against Ukraine," Kallas said.

The Estonian prime minister stressed that the European Union in cooperation with the United States is developing a sanction package "if Russia continues escalation of the situation in Ukraine."

Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that during a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he expressed the alliance's support for Kiev "in face of Russia's threat."

On January 10, Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen said that Copenhagen plans to send four F-16 interceptors and a frigate to Estonia as support for NATO in the event of Russia's aggression.

Western countries and Kiev have recently expressed concerns about the alleged "aggressive actions" of Russia near the border with Ukraine. Kiev accuses Moscow of military build-up and preparations for an invasion of the neighboring country. However, Russia denies the allegations and reiterates that it has no intention of attacking any country. Moreover, Moscow views the accusations as a pretext for deploying more NATO military equipment close to Russian borders.