Estonia Calls for NATO Readiness Amidst Shifting Threat fromโ Putin
TALLINN, Estonia – โคEstonian President Alar Karis is urging NATO alliesโข to accelerate defense spending โand prepare for a “different kind of war” with โRussia, citing a basic shift in โthe security landscape โfollowingโ Moscow’s โขinvasion of Ukraine. Karis emphasized the need for increased investment in defense capabilities,even as some member states struggle to โmeet existing commitments.
The call โขfor heightened preparedness comes as NATO grapples with the evolving nature of conflict โand the potential for broader aggression from Russia. While acknowledging the progress made by some nations, Karis stressed the importance of collective action and a long-term commitment to bolsteringโค defense capabilities across the alliance.
A key โคpointโ of contention remains defense spending commitments among NATO allies. Former U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly challenged the alliance over insufficient contributions, initially targeting a 2 percent of GDP benchmark, later suggesting 3 โpercent, and more recently, with NATO members agreeing inโ june to a new minimum of โข5 percent.
Estonia and other Baltic states are among the leading spenders on defense within NATO. However, countries like Spain have faced criticism for falling short of targets. โคTrump previously threatened toโ reconsider Spain’s membership if it failed to meet its financial obligations. Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles recently affirmed Spain’s commitment to NATO, stating U.S.โ armed forces were “well aware” of the country’s dedication.
Karis urged patience with allies working to meet theirโ commitments, pointing to Germany’s โrecent conversion. “Germany just a few โyears ago was not meeting โคeven the 2 percent minimum, but thatโ the country โฃ’changed completely the attitude of defense and defense industry’ and is now building up its military capabilities to โขmeet its commitments,” he โsaid.
He expressed optimism thatโค Spain would follow a similar trajectory, noting Estonia’s own commitment โฃto โthe 5 percent target.”It’s probably โคthe same with Spain,” Karis stated, adding that Estonia reached the 5 percent level “not as it is indeed a nice number, but because it in our NATO defense programโฆand what we can do as a small country is lead as an example.”
Karis also encouraged Portugal and other nations to increase their โขdefense resources, acknowledging that progress will vary based on individual circumstances. “Different countries are in โdifferent situations, so things won’t happen overnight,” heโ said, adding that alliance leaders are “smart enough to move in the right direction.”
