Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Tuesday. They discussed how to strengthen cooperation and help achieve peace in Ukraine.
This was the first meeting between an Estonian representative and a member of the new U.S. administration. Tsahkna thanked the U.S. for its support in the security of our region. He said that U.S. assistance has helped maintain peace in Estonia and around the world.
Tsahkna said that Estonia invests heavily in its defense. This year, Estonia is spending 3.7% of GDP on defense. Next year, the plan is to spend 5%. He added that every U.S. dollar invested in Estonia's security corresponds to 12 dollars from Estonia.
Tsahkna also talked about the NATO meeting in June. He said that allies should increase defense spending because Russia is a threat to Europe.
Tsahkna emphasized that cooperation between Estonia and the U.S. is strong. He thanked the U.S. for its support when Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania left the Russian electricity grid.
The meeting also discussed Russia's war in Ukraine. Tsahkna said that the U.S. and Ukraine are striving to achieve peace, but Russia is not ready for it. It continues to attack Ukraine.
Tsahkna said that it is important to support Ukraine militarily and economically. He believes that peace is possible only if Russia abandons its plans in Ukraine.
He emphasized that strong cooperation between Europe and the U.S. has led to security and economic prosperity in Estonia and America. He said that Estonia is committed to maintaining and developing this relationship.