Defence-related assistance

Ukraine is Estonia’s main priority for defence-related assistance

Estonia was among the first to provide military aid even before Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, sending Javelin anti-tank missile systems. Since the start of the full-scale war, Estonia has provided Ukraine with over €800 million in military aid – roughly 2% of its GDP – placing Estonia among the world leaders in per capita support.

Estonia also co-leads, together with Luxembourg, the IT coalition of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (the Ramstein Group). The aim of this capability coalition is to support the enhancement of Ukraine’s combat capability and assist the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces in establishing a secure IT infrastructure in line with NATO standards. To date, 18 countries have joined the IT coalition, contributing over €1.3 billion in financial and material support, focusing on critical IT resources for Ukraine such as data centres, network equipment, satellite and tactical communications systems, and end-user devices.

Defence-related assistance to Moldova

Estonia provides defence-related assistance to Moldova as well. In Moldova, security and defence cooperation is centred around the European Peace Facility (EPF), through which, since 2021, a package of assistance measures has been established, covering equipment, infrastructure, and training. The support is primarily aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the Moldovan Armed Forces, including air defence, logistics, and initial combat readiness. Since 2022, the Estonian Ministry of Defence and the The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments have been the main implementers of several EPF measures in Moldova.

Sharing expertise

Estonia also shares expertise with recipient countries to support defence reforms, NATO integration processes, cyber defence capabilities, and medical rehabilitation. This includes conducting advisory visits and courses both in Estonia and in partner countries. Additionally, Estonia supports the training of military personnel and civilian staff from these countries at the Baltic Defence College.

Beyond bilateral activities, Estonia implements its assistance policy through international cooperation formats and programmes, primarily NATO initiatives to support partner countries, and coordinates its assistance with other donors where possible (e.g., the Nordic-Baltic Assistance Programme – NBAP).

Estonia also supports security sector reforms through advisory work by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP).