If everything goes the way it appears to be going and Finland formally applies to join NATO at the Madrid summit in June, then it's likely that Finland will accede to NATO by the end of 2022, Estonian Ambassador to Finland Sven Sakkov said on Vikerraadio's "Välistund" on Monday.
If Estonia's northern neighbor, Finland, were to join NATO, that development would be of key importance to Estonia's defensive position and would alter the picture both at sea and in the air, Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) MP and reserve Lieutenant Colonel in the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) Leo Kunnas says.
At an extra meeting of the National Defense Committee of the Riigikogu on Thursday, Minister of Defense Kalle Laanet (Reform) provided an overview of the government's decision to use additional funding to improve the Estonian state's defense capability. The committee approved the allocation of half a billion euros in additional funds to defense.
Whether Russian President Vladimir Putin gets his way following the attack on Ukraine which began Thursday depends on the country's resilience, security experts told ETV news show 'Aktuaalne kaamera' (AK) Thursday evening. Putin may need to make the war short and press the Ukrainians into suing for peace, if he is to be successful, they added.
25 members of the Riigikogu from three parties have formed a support group to protect Estonia's interests within the European Union's climate package. The aim of the group is to develop proposals for Estonia's position on the package.