At the signing of the agreement, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas stressed that Estonia stands firmly by Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor. “This agreement will further strengthen the partnership between Estonia and Ukraine. With it, we reaffirm Estonia’s commitment to providing long-term political, military, and economic support to Ukraine and engaging in cooperation in many areas,” said Kallas.
The prime minister added that the agreement outlines the objectives and measures that will contribute to Ukraine’s victory. “The more countries that conclude bilateral agreements like this with Ukraine, the stronger the message we send to Russia – the support of Ukraine’s partners is long-term and together, we will help Ukraine to win. I am pleased that the security agreement between the European Union and Ukraine will also be signed today,” Kallas said.
Before signing the agreement, Prime Minister Kallas and President Zelenskyy discussed the situation on the front and the upcoming NATO summit in Washington. “As a result of the persistent work of the people of Ukraine, their country’s accession negotiations with the European Union started this week. Estonia’s aim is to support Ukraine in their ambitions as much as possible by sharing our practical experiences of the EU. Estonia will also continue to support Ukraine on its journey to join NATO. Active work has begun to reach the outcomes of the NATO Washington Summit,” said Kallas.
Background information on the agreement on security cooperation and long-term support
The agreement is a political declaration of intent outlining the objectives and measures that will contribute to Ukraine’s victory. The content of the agreement between Estonia and Ukraine focuses mainly on defence and security cooperation, but also addresses broader issues such as Ukraine’s integration into the EU and NATO, the continued sanctions against Russia, compensation for damage caused to Ukraine due to the aggression, development cooperation with Ukraine, and reconstruction and cooperation in the field of civil defence. Estonia will not assume any new financial obligations under the agreement. The agreement is based on previous decisions taken by the Government of the Republic to provide comprehensive support to Ukraine. The agreement is valid for ten years.
The process of concluding bilateral security agreements follows the G7 Joint Declaration of 12 July 2023, which aims to provide Ukraine with continued political, military, financial, and economic aid and to contribute to holding the Russian leadership accountable and compensating for the damage caused by its aggression. In the joint declaration, Ukraine also takes on commitments in addition to the G7.
Estonia joined the joint declaration on 17 August last year, together with Latvia and Lithuania. 32 countries and the European Union have now joined.
Ukraine has signed similar bilateral agreements with almost 20 countries.
Negotiations on the agreement were led by Kyllike Sillaste-Elling, Undersecretary for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, and Ihor Žovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of the Interior participated in the development of Estonia’s positions.
Photos of the event https://www.flickr.com/photos/stenbockimaja/albums/72177720318284560/
Full text of the agreement https://dhs.riigikantselei.ee/avalikteave.nsf/documents/NT003E1146?open
