53 members of the Riigikogu want to change the law. The new law would allow citizens of NATO member states to join the Estonian Defense Forces. They must be over 18 years old and members of the Kaitseliit (Defense League). They must take the military oath.
The Ministry of Defense does not support the law in its current form. They say it needs more work. The Ministry of Defense wants to involve allied citizens, but the plan needs improvement.
The Ministry of Defense has concerns. They do not want the status of Kaitseliit members to become unclear. For example, supporting members do not participate in military exercises. They cannot be assigned wartime duties. This could be dangerous.
Another concern is the obligations of foreign citizens. These are not clear enough. A third concern is security. The state must have the right to check the background of foreign citizens.
The Ministry of Defense wants to create a new membership status in the Kaitseliit. This would be an active member status for foreign citizens. This would ensure that everyone meets the requirements.
The Ministry of Defense emphasizes the importance of security. Some foreign citizens may be dangerous. For example, they may belong to extremist or criminal groups. Estonia may have little information about them.