Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Prime Minister Kaja Kallas of Estonia to NATO headquarters on Thursday (27 June 2024) to discuss final preparations for the Washington Summit, including the provision of further support to Ukraine.
Mr Stoltenberg highlighted Estonia's many contributions to Allied security, noting that the country "leads by example by investing more than 3% of GDP on defence". He further praised the "unprecedented" support Estonia has been providing Ukraine and its commitment to continue this for years to come. The Secretary General also underlined that "NATO supports Estonia in many different ways," including with a multinational battlegroup in Tapa; with fighter jet patrols; and the fact that Spain will soon deploy an air defence battery to Estonia.
The Secretary General outlined the priorities of the NATO Summit, saying he expects "Allied leaders will agree a long-term pledge of support to Ukraine. This will provide Ukraine with greater predictability for the long haul." He added that the Summit will also address NATO's own deterrence and defence, saying: "We have agreed new, more ambitious defence plans; Allies are delivering more forces, high readiness, investing in high end capabilities; and this year, 23 Allies are going to invest more than 2% of GDP on defence, which is great progress". Finally, the Secretary General emphasised the importance of global partnerships to the Alliance and confirmed these will remain a key focus at Washington and beyond.
