Estonian defence chief: NATO allies unclear on Trump’s expectations

Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said NATO allies are unclear about what kind of assistance the United States expects from them regarding Iran.

Speaking to Politico, Pevkur confirmed that Estonia is ready to assist the U.S. in ensuring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. However, he expressed doubts about the true intentions of President Trump’s administration toward NATO allies, Caliber.Az reports.

Pevkur noted that Trump first called on NATO countries to do something together with them [the U.S.] in the Middle East. He then stated, “we don’t need allies,” and later said Alliance countries should act independently.

“So in just three days you have three different direction messages,” the minister said.

In mid-March, Pevkur visited Washington, where he met with key U.S. Defence Department officials and stated that Estonia was prepared to discuss participating in operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

However, Pevkur said he has received no clarification since then regarding what support the U.S. actually expects.

“Even today, in the morning, I had a meeting with the chief of defense and there is no clarity from the US CENTCOM or other institutions, also on the political level, on what [the United States] requests from the allies,” he said.

Under normal circumstances, allies would receive a clear request for assistance through military, diplomatic, or political channels, Pevkur noted.

The Estonian defense minister sharply rejected Trump’s claim that NATO allies had abandoned the U.S. in a difficult moment. He recalled Estonia’s participation in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Proportionally, the amount we lost in these conflicts is equal to [that suffered by the] U.S., so we've sacrificed as a nation, as an army, we sacrificed our people for the common goal, to have peace in the world,” he said.

According to Pevkur, divisions within NATO play into Russia’s hands.

“I believe that for all the allies, at this very moment, it is important to build bridges, not to destroy the bridges. Because this is exactly what Putin wants to see, that the West is divided,” he added.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov