The Foreign Affairs Committee discusses supporting Ukraine and strengthening NATO’s eastern flank in Germany

Today, the delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) goes on a two-day visit to Germany, where they will discuss the possibilities for supporting Ukraine as well as strengthening the deterrence and defence capability on NATO’s eastern flank.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said that Ukraine needed more military and humanitarian aid from the countries of Europe, as well as rapid tightening of sanctions against Russia, in particular suspension of trade in energy sources. “We all must do more and act faster to help Ukraine to victory. We will focus on the opportunities for effectively supporting Ukraine also at the meetings held in Germany,” he added.

The preparations for the NATO summit that will take place in Madrid in June constitute another important topic to be discussed at the meetings. “We expect decisions from Madrid to strengthen deterrence, increase NATO presence and, through it, significantly improve the security of Estonia and also of our region more widely. Germany has been our firm ally who has already proven its commitment to strengthening NATO’s eastern flank,” Mihkelson said.

During their visit to Germany, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson, Deputy Chairman Mihhail Lotman and members of the Foreign Affairs Committee Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski, Henn Põlluaas and Indrek Saar will meet with Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the German Bundestag Michael Roth, member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Bundestag Knut Abraham and Chair of the Germany-Baltic Friendship Group Alexander Graf Lambsdorff. The Foreign Affairs Committee delegation will also meet with Minister of State for Europe Anna Lührmann, and it is planned to have meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany and the think tank Körber-Stiftung.

Mihkelson will meet with Head of Department for Foreign and Security Policy at the Federal Chancellery Christian Aulbach and deliver a speech at the media concern Axel Springer.

Monday evening the representatives of the Foreign Affairs Committee will be at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, where Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas will deliver a speech.

Source: Parliament of Estonia