Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet met yesterday, in Prague, with his Czech counterpart, Jana Černochová, and together they found that allied military assistance to Ukraine must both continue and gain momentum.
“Although Tallinn and Prague are separated by more than 1,500 kilometres, Estonia and the Czech Republic have very similar views on the current security situation and the threat posed by Russia, on helping Ukraine, and on NATO and European Union defence cooperation,” the Defence Minister said.
“Estonia and the Czech Republic have been two of Ukraine’s biggest supporters in terms of military assistance, which is essential for Ukraine to win the current war. We also call on other allies to increase military aid to Ukraine and speed up the delivery of aid,” said Laanet.
At their meeting, the defence ministers also discussed the upcoming NATO summit in Madrid, the need to increase the deterrence and defence posture of the eastern flank of the Alliance, as well as defence cooperation within the European Union, which the Czech Republic will lead in its presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of this year.
“Estonia’s goal at the Madrid summit is clear – to reach an agreement with Allies on a strengthened Forward Defence posture on the eastern flank, which would provide for, among other things, the creation of multinational divisions in each of the Baltic States,” said the Minister of Defence.
Defence Minister Laanet, who is in the Czech Republic on a two-day visit, will also visit the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade of the Czech Army, in Zatec.
The Czech Republic contributes to collective defence within the NATO Battle Groups stationed in Latvia and Lithuania, has participated in the Baltic Air Policing mission, and is a member of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). Estonian servicemen have participated in Task Force Takuba, in Mali, together with Czech servicemen.
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Photos: Kaitseminister Laanet Tšehhis kohtumisel kaitseminister Če… | Flickr