Shmyhal: Estonia plans to give 0.25% of its GDP annually to Ukraine's defence
In addition, the country has already completed the development of a compensation mechanism that provides for the use of Russian funds for the needs of Ukraine
Ukraine has already received more than €520 million in military aid from Estonia, which is about 1.4% of its GDP, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a joint press conference with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
According to him, Estonia's support is becoming long-term.
"We especially appreciate that Estonia's support is becoming a long-term one. The Estonian government has developed a "Strategy for Ukraine's Victory", which provides for annual defence assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 0.25% of GDP over the next 4 years," said Denys Shmyhal.
In particular, the recent 18th package of military aid included much-needed 155mm artillery shells, Shmyhal said.
The Prime Minister of Ukraine also thanked the Estonian side for its active practical support of President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula. Estonia has recently agreed to become a co-leader of point 5 of the Formula, "Implementation of the UN Charter and restoration of territorial integrity".
Denys Shmyhal stressed that Estonia also plays a leading role in Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic and European integration: "We expect to start negotiations on our accession to the EU in the coming months. I am confident that Estonia is our reliable partner in this matter."
In addition, the Prime Minister said that Estonia has already completed the development of a compensation mechanism that provides for the use of Russian funds for the needs of Ukraine.
"We look forward to its final approval," Shmyhal said.
The Head of the Ukrainian Government also expressed hope that Estonia would support the decision to extend autonomous trade liberalisation measures. According to him, duty-free trade will benefit not only Ukrainian but also European companies that export tens of billions of dollars worth of goods and services to Ukraine.
Estonia is becoming one of the key partners in the recovery process. In particular, it has taken patronage of the Zhytomyr region: "And we can already see the results – a kindergarten in Ovruch, a bridge in Malina and other facilities have been rebuilt. Such projects create the conditions for Ukrainians to return home and serve as an example for others to follow."
Background. Meanwhile, it was reported that, according to WSJ sources, Kaya Kallas was virtually the only Western politician to support the French president's proposal to send NATO troops to Ukraine.
If you have read this article to the end, we hope that means it was useful for you.
We work to ensure that our journalistic and analytical work is of high quality, and we strive to perform it as competently as possible. This also requires financial independence. Support us for only UAH 196 per month.
Become a Mind subscriber for just USD 5 per month and support the development of independent business journalism!
You can unsubscribe at any time in your LIQPAY account or by sending us an email: [email protected]
