Estonian president advocates for increased defence spending by larger EU nations

Estonian President Alar Karis emphasized the need for major European nations to significantly increase their defence spending in response to the growing security challenges posed by Russia’s aggression.

Karis noted that while smaller countries like Estonia could boost their defence budgets, it is the larger EU states that must take the lead in strengthening Europe’s overall defence resilience, Caliber.Az reports via Estonian media.

“We are referring to Europe as a whole, whose larger countries must contribute. We [in Estonia] could boost our defence spending even to 10 per cent, but in essence, that wouldn't significantly improve the overall European defence resilience. This means we need to talk with those larger countries,” Karis said.

The president also highlighted a shift in the attitude of countries further from the eastern flank, noting that many now recognize the potential threat of Russia’s aggression extending beyond Ukraine. "There has been a clear awareness that this Russian aggression could also reach them, so they are ready to contribute. Of course, there are exceptions to that. But the general sense now is that people are no longer only worried about who in Eastern Europe might be next, but rather, that the war might suddenly reach us too," Karis explained.

Despite Estonia’s commitment to defence, with 3.43 per cent of its GDP allocated to defence in 2024, Karis acknowledged that many EU countries are not investing at similar levels. For instance, the Netherlands, despite having NATO’s secretary-general, spent just 2.05 per cent of its GDP on defence that year.

On the broader issue of EU defence, Karis explained that Europe cannot fully take over responsibilities being stepped back from by the US, as the EU is a federation where each nation makes independent decisions. “This is the highest level of diplomacy — how to get different countries to work together, and unfortunately, compromises always have to be made,” he said.

By Vafa Guliyeva