Photo: Collected
Estonia has been buying weapons on the global arms market on Ukraine's behalf, the Baltic state's defense minister said on Monday (25 March).
"We have been doing Ukrainian procurement for them. The money belongs to Ukraine," Hanno Pevkur told the Postimees daily.
The Estonian Defense Ministry's Center for Defense Investments has been acting as an intermediary between Ukraine and arms exporters, Pevkur explained. The goal is to help Kiev focus on urgent tasks by taking procurement off its hands, he said.
"They have the money and when they need something we help them get it," the minister said.
Pevkur did not comment on Ukraine's military needs or expenditure, saying the allies had agreed to keep these matters private. He said Estonia was one of a few countries that Ukraine had asked for assistance in the procurement process.
Western countries have been providing military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict. In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russian strikes.
Messenger/Mumu
