Permanent Secretary Kristjan Mäe emphasised that the United Kingdom has become one of Estonia’s key Allies, serving as the framework nation for NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) battlegroup permanently stationed in Estonia and contributing to Estonia’s defence with an infantry brigade held at high readiness in the UK.
“The United Kingdom makes a significant contribution to strengthening both Estonia’s defence posture and NATO’s overall deterrence and defence posture in the Baltic Sea region. The FLF brigade has been deployed here for almost a decade, and the British are working exceptionally well with the Estonian Defence Forces to develop deep-strike capabilities,” Mäe said. “The UK also shares our views on the current security situation in Europe and the need to continue providing military assistance to Ukraine,” he added.
The meeting also covered ways to further develop defence industry cooperation between Estonia and the United Kingdom, as well as challenges facing NATO.
Permanent Secretary Mäe also met Rachel Ellehuus, Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a leading defence and security think tank, and its researchers.
