Estonia to send $88 million in military aid to Ukraine
The Estonian government approved on Dec. 14 a military aid package of 80 million euros ($88 million) for Ukraine, containing Javelin anti-tank missiles, ammunition, and other aid, the ERR national broadcaster reported.
Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said he hopes that this package would prompt other allies to boost their support for Kyiv as worries about hesitation grow.
"Just like the Estonian Javelins playing a decisive role last year in the defense of Kyiv and inspired other countries to lend a helping hand to Ukraine, our aim with this extensive aid package is to show that Ukraine's fight for freedom can only succeed if the Allies continue helping Ukrainians," Pevkur said.
The tranche further includes machine guns, small arms ammunition, various vehicles and vessels, and diving equipment, the ERR wrote.
"This aid package has been compiled with the aim of maximum benefit for Ukraine without harming Estonia's own defense capability. We are replacing the necessary stocks," Pevkur added.
The Baltic country, with a population of 1.3 million, is one of the leading military donors to Ukraine in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) shares, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Counting the most recent package, Estonia's defense contributions to Ukraine amount to around 500 million euros ($550 million) since the start of the full-scale war, which is around 1.4% of the country's GDP.
Over the next four years, Tallinn is prepared to allocate 0.25% of its GDP to military assistance for Kyiv, the national broadcaster reported.
Martin Fornusek
