Discussion in the Riigikogu focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Today, an additional sitting was held in the Riigikogu where the security situation in Europe in light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was discussed as a matter of significant national importance on the proposal of the National Defence Committee.

At the beginning of his report, Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet discussed the current situation in Ukraine. He then spoke of how Estonia had helped Ukraine and concluded on how Estonia was protected.

Laanet recalled that Russia had started a war of aggression against Ukraine six days ago, on the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, at the same moment when the extraordinary session of the UN Security Council on the issue of Ukraine had started in New York. “This obviously not accidental coincidence in time is enough to prove that Putin’s regime disrespects international law and the order based on legal equality of states, but also that the organisation established to ensure global peace is powerless so long as Russia has a right of veto,” Minister of Defence said. In his words, since last December it had been evident that Russia was not relying on diplomacy, having issued completely unrealistic ultimatums instead of reasonable proposals. “Putin’s regime made preparations for aggression against Ukraine for years,” Laanet said.

Laanet listed the activities of the aggressor: the suppression and brainwashing of the people of Russia, the “integration” of Belarus and the saving of Lukashenka’s regime with brutal measures, the preparation for closing the Russian information space and even the construction of Nord Stream 2 to increase Europe’s gas dependence. “The whole political game was all about Vladimir Putin until the beginning of the war of aggression,” Laanet said. “Then Putin turned all of the free world against himself by starting a brutal full-scale war against the free Ukraine.”

In Laanet’s words, Russia was threatening with nuclear weapons to strengthen its political position. He added that that was the new reality, but just for the time being, because the coming weeks and months would evidently reveal much greater changes.

“Ukraine is fighting not just for itself, but for all of us, the whole free world,” Laanet said. In his words, Putin’s regime and his war machine are ever more definitely on a losing course. “We must uphold the established dynamics. Russia has issued threats to Finland and Sweden against their joining NATO. Finland and Sweden are not applying for NATO membership, but we are implementing the ‘enhanced communication’ together, which is necessary in the situation that has arisen,” Laanet said. In his words, this means additional meetings and exchange of information on intelligence as well as information operations and strategic communication.

As regards helping Ukraine, Laanet pointed out that Estonia had been one of the first European countries to decide as early as last December to also give military aid to Ukraine together with the US, the United Kingdom, Latvia and Lithuania. In his words, the first lot of Javelin anti-tank missiles supplied by Estonia had reached Ukraine on 18 February, before the outbreak of the war.

Laanet assured that Estonia would continue to give both lethal and non-lethal military aid to Ukraine. “We are planning to give Ukraine additional Javelin anti-tank missiles, 122 mm Howitzers together with ammunition, other Soviet-calibre ammunition available in Estonia, thousands of helmets, hundreds of bullet-proof vests, tens of thousands of Defence Forces food packs and medical devices,” he specified. “In the near future, we are also planning to transfer to Ukraine a mobile field hospital that is manufactured in Estonia in cooperation with Germany.”

Laanet added that the US, Canada and 19 European countries had given and offered military aid to Ukraine. European Union Foreign Ministers have decided that 450 million euro will be allocated from the European Peace Facility to procure lethal weaponry and 50 million euro to procure non-lethal weaponry and to give it to Ukraine.

The Minister of Defence separately pointed out that Estonia diplomatically supported Ukraine becoming a candidate country for membership of the European Union. “This country is currently fighting for the whole Europe and our shared democratic values. This activity confirms that Ukraine deserves to become a member of the united European Union,” Laanet said.

In Laanet’s words, the Estonian Government and defence forces have taken a number of necessary steps in recent times to reinforce Estonian security. He pointed out that, at the request of the allies from the North Atlantic Alliance and the NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO’s defence plans had been activated. Early in the morning on 24 February, the Estonian Government together with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and other eastern flank countries also requested consultations under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. “Allies have already deployed and are deploying more deterrent forces to NATO’s eastern flank, including Estonia,” Laanet assured.

According to the Minister of Defence, Estonia is ready to meet its allied commitments in NATO’s readiness units according to the mandate given by the Riigikogu. Estonia is also participating, together with the Nordic and Baltic countries and the Netherlands, in the cooperation of the Joint Expeditionary Force JEF, led by the United Kingdom.

The minister also mentioned the additional allocation of around 340 euro for four years to the area of government of the Ministry of Defence. The lion’s share of the allocation will fall to the next year and the year after that: 99.7 million and 204.2 million euro, respectively. “These funds will be used to acquire ammunition resources for nearly all weapon systems in the Defence Forces,” Laanet said. “A large part of the supply contracts have already been concluded.”

In conclusion, Laanet said that the war could go on for a longer time, because Putin’s Russia would not agree to sign a peace agreement as a loser. “It is our task to make the damage caused by this military invasion as painful for Putin’s Russia as possible,” he said. “Massive support to Ukraine politically, economically and militarily will save the Ukrainian statehood and independence and will at the same time increase our and European security. NATO allies are strengthening defence readiness and deterrence on the eastern flank to a significant degree. And I dare say absolutely clearly that, as I see it, the allied relations are stronger than ever.”

Chair of the National Defence Committee Enn Eesmaa said that Russian military activity in Ukraine was illegal and unjustified. “I have seen in the media how Russian armed forces are violating the Geneva conventions on international humanitarian law and their additional protocols by attacking protected persons and shooting civil facilities like residences and hospitals marked with red crosses,” Eesmaa said.

Eesmaa pointed out that Karim Ahmad Khan, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, had already announced that he had decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible. He once more referred to Khan in whose opinion there was a basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity had been committed during the military action.

In Eesmaa’s words, NATO allies had taken quick action in recent weeks. At the request of the Baltic countries and Poland, consultations under Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty had been launched and a decision on the activation of defence plans had been made. NATO’s machinery is working and allies are actively strengthening NATO’s eastern flank.

He underlined that there was a total consensus among the parliaments of the European Union countries on the assessment of the current security situation and the need to act jointly.

In Eesmaa’s words, we are seeing today that Ukrainians’ extraordinarily impressive bravery and tenacious resistance have awakened Europeans’ core values and they are yet again ready to decisively defend freedom and democracy. He said that, across Europe, there were statements declaring that the Ukrainians’ war was our war as well. “The Ukrainians’ blood also defends our freedom and democracy,” Eesmaa said. “Europeans are finally being forced to overcome their business and economic interests that have prevented them from imposing certain sanctions, and also the burdens of the past, and they have again found the courage to strengthen their defence.”

Eesmaa noted that the undisguised invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine with bombardment and massive forces had urged the European Union and the remaining democracies to act significantly more vigorously. According to him, that manifested in particular in the unprecedented tightening of the sanction regime against Russia, but pressure was also mounting against Belarus who supported Russia directly in the military campaign. “The sanctions imposed by the European Union, the US, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, South-Korea and other countries are clear signals to Russia and a statement in support of Ukraine,” Eesmaa said.

In conclusion, Eesmaa said that the National Defence Committee had recognised the Government’s efforts in increasing defence spending and he welcomed the recent decision to contribute additional 380 million euro towards Estonian security.

“Never before has our defence spending been so high, but we must still recognise that, in the extraordinary security situation that has arisen, it is inevitable to further increase defence spending both in absolute terms and as a percentage of gross domestic product,” Eesmaa said.

According to him, if necessary, we will have to make structural changes as well as to reduce the existing capability gaps with the help of loan to continue developing our defence capability. It is not reasonable to start new large capability developments, such as medium range air defence, which has been repeatedly highlighted as a priority by the committee, at the expense of limiting or cutting the existing capabilities.

The reports were followed by questions to the speakers by members of the Riigikogu and comments by the representatives of political groups and members of the Riigikogu.

Leo Kunnas took the floor on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction, Jaanus Karilaid spoke on behalf of the Centre Party Faction and Helir-Valdor Seeder spoke on behalf of Faction Isamaa. Jürgen Ligi presented remarks on behalf of the Reform Party Faction and Jaak Juske on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Faction.

Tarmo Kruusimäe (Isamaa), Signe Kivi (Reform Party), Alar Laneman (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Mihhail Lotman (Isamaa), Jüri Ratas (Centre Party), Heiki Hepner (Isamaa), Andres Metsoja (Isamaa), Margit Sutrop (Reform Party), Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa), Aadu Must (Centre Party) and Henn Põlluaas (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) also took the floor.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Photos of the sitting

The video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Source: Parliament of Estonia