Estonia supports deployment of European forces in Ukraine after ceasefire - Defense Minister Pevkur
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said that NATO membership would remain the best guarantee of security for Ukraine, but that additional mechanisms needed to be developed now, including sending European troops to Ukrainian territory with the support of the US.
He made this statement before the start of an informal meeting of EU defense ministers, according to Censor.NET.
According to Pevkur, a company-sized contingent could be sent to Ukraine immediately after the ceasefire, and the format of US support is still being discussed. The minister stressed that the decision to deploy forces is being coordinated only with Ukraine, not with Russia.
He also noted the importance of strengthening Europeans' confidence in their own capabilities: the EU has a population of 500 million, and the bloc's economy is strong enough to implement such initiatives. Pevkur expressed satisfaction with the European Commission's proposal to increase defense spending in the next seven-year budget, but noted that the main problem is the inability to use money from the European Peace Fund to provide financial support to Ukraine.
