Washington, 11 July 2024 – Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas attended the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in Washington yesterday, at which leaders of the alliance’s member countries were joined at the table by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Estonian head of government says NATO and Ukraine today are closer than ever.
“Yesterday we took important decisions to bring Ukraine even closer to the alliance,” she said. “NATO will take a leading role in coordinating security assistance and training for Ukraine. Allies also pledged long-term financial support for Ukraine. These are very clear, practical preparations for the country’s accession to NATO. Ukraine’s rightful place is in the alliance, and its pathway to membership is irreversible.”
Prime Minister Kallas also stressed that it should not be forgotten that Ukraine, for the third year running, is fighting for Europe and the free world as a whole. “That is why we need to stay firm when it comes to increasing the cost of aggression,” she said.
“Helping Ukraine to victory will require additional effort from all allies. Estonia’s military aid to the country amounts to more than 1.4% of our GDP, but we are continuing to look for new ways of supporting Ukraine. I encourage all of our allies to do the same.”
The joint statement of the NATO-Ukraine Council was also adopted yesterday. G7 countries and all the partners who have signed security agreements with Ukraine also signed a Ukraine Compact. The purpose of the compact is to reaffirm that long-term support for Ukraine will be continued until victory.
