“We need to keep in mind that we have much to defend and a very real threat to defend against,” the prime minister stressed. “Europe is facing a critical moment that will shape our security and future for decades.”
Kallas recalled that the Russian military industrial complex has been mobilised to a level where it produces considerably more equipment and ammunition in every category than the Euro-Atlantic community combined. “At some point, Russia will be ready and willing for the next war. All they will be looking for is an opportunity – which we must deny them.”
In order to put an end to Russia’s aggression, the prime minister said, the first and crucial step is to ensure Ukraine’s victory and Russia’s defeat in the ongoing war. For that, Ukraine urgently needs ammunition and air defence, the prime minister explained. At the same time, Kallas also welcomed the fact that several countries have begun to support Estonia’s initiative to provide Ukraine with annual military aid worth at least 0.25% of their GDP.
However, the prime minister stressed that Europe also needs to improve its own defence capabilities, based on an increase in defence spending to the 2% level agreed in NATO as an absolute minimum. However, supporting the defence industry is not only an economic burden. It also creates jobs, boosts the economy, and drives technological innovation, she said.
According to Kallas, the next long-term budget of the European Union can do a lot to improve the situation if a higher share of it is devoted to defence. “The current level, a meagre 0.86%, is simply not enough. The new security reality is here to stay, and our actions must correspond,” she said.
Read the full speech here.
