I fully support hiking defense spending to a level that corresponds to the security situation and modernization of weapons. But weapons do not fight wars, people do, Aivar Riisalu writes.
Estonia is set to slash planned defense spending by more than €100 million compared to the current Defense Forces development plan and the previous state budget strategy (RES). Total defense spending will remain above 2 percent of GDP.
Defense spending will be reduced by €114 million compared to the current Defense Forces development plan and defense investments program (KIP), Minister of Defense Kalle Laanet (Reform) said at a press conference on Tuesday. While the 2022 defense budget is bigger by €59.4 million compared to this year s, it falls €16.6 million short of what was prescribed in the previous government s fiscal strategy. The gap between recent plans and the new RES will grow in future years.