TALLINN, Estonia (CHATNEWSTV) — Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed their nations’ commitment to defense cooperation Tuesday during a meeting in Tallinn, emphasizing efforts to bolster NATO’s eastern border and support Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.
“The U.K. is Estonia’s largest military cooperation partner, and this partnership must expand into the defense industry,” Michal said.
“Estonia has taken the goal of developing its domestic defense industry to strengthen both its defense capability and help Ukraine in its war against Russia. Our high-tech defense companies have great potential to cooperate with British firms, and, hopefully, we can expect good news soon.”
The leaders also discussed measures to tighten sanctions against Russia, with a focus on curbing the activities of its so-called shadow fleet, used to evade international restrictions.
“Our common task is to restrict the movement of these ships, which will also weaken Putin’s war machine,” Michal said.
Michal highlighted the importance of strengthening ties between the European Union and the U.K. as a means to ensure European security and maintain a rules-based international order.
“Estonia looks forward to strengthening EU-U.K. relations and pragmatic cooperation. Together, we can also reinforce the partnership between the EU and NATO. We share similar goals in the transition to green energy,” he said.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) security summit, a U.K.-led defense coalition that includes 10 Northern European countries. The JEF aims to address various security challenges, from humanitarian crises to conventional warfare, complementing NATO’s strategic operations.
