Commander of the Defense Forces Andrus Merilo said that Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur should have continued until the elections. He also said that Pevkur should have informed him before resigning. This caused a lot of controversy.
Member of Parliament Raimond Kaljulaid said that Merilo's statement was borderline. He warned that it should not be overreacted to. Other politicians and experts are critical of Merilo's words, but they do not speak about it publicly.
Security expert Meelis Oidsalu said that Merilo overstepped the boundaries of his authority. He believed that the commander of the defense forces should not talk about politics. According to Oidsalu, the ministry's decisions are a political responsibility, not a matter for the defense forces.
Kaljulaid said that Merilo has the right to express his opinion. But he believed that such statements could interfere with work. He wished that the defense forces would focus on their main work.
Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur resigned on Wednesday. He had been Minister of Defense since 2022. The Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the Ministry of Defense. The investigation concerns data from the National Audit Office. No one has been charged with any suspicion of a crime.