Estonia has expressed readiness to send to Ukraine a company-sized unit to provide security guarantees after hostilities have ceased. This position was voiced by Prime Minister Kristen Michal during a joint press conference with Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Tallinn on August 22.
According to Michal, these actions could be realized within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing.
“We have taken a government decision that we are ready to participate, and the most substantial contribution could be a unit at the company level. The exact definition of the unit will be decided when the operational parameters become clear”
– Kristen Michal, Prime Minister of Estonia
Security guarantees and legal basis
The Estonian prime minister noted that after defining clear parameters and completing planning, the government will approach Parliament for a mandate, since Estonia’s law requires this. And only after that will our troops be able to participate in the mission.
“And only after this will our troops be able to participate in the mission in Ukraine”
– Kristen Michal, Prime Minister of Estonia
Regarding security guarantees for Ukraine, Michal emphasized that they must be legally binding – analogous to NATO Article 5, with presence of troops and regular exercises that would automatically apply in certain situations.
“Perhaps the best description is like NATO’s Article 5. It must be legally binding. It should provide for the physical presence of troops. And also regular exercises. That is, it should be automatic in certain situations. Perhaps that is the best explanation of what guarantees should be”
– Kristen Michal, Prime Minister of Estonia
The head of government also noted that pressure on Russia should come through strict sanctions – these are what could force the Russian authorities to sit at the negotiating table.
According to official sources, Washington has begun working with European countries and Kyiv on a model of security guarantees. It is expected that its development will take about 7–10 days after the meeting of the Ukrainian and U.S. presidents at the White House on August 18.
On August 22, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Kyiv and stated that the security guarantees agreement for Ukraine would provide two levels: strengthening the Ukrainian Armed Forces and guarantees from the United States and Europe that could deter Russia in the event of future aggression.
The parties plan to finalize the model by the end of next week, after which concrete implementation will begin.
Prospects and next steps
As part of the dialogue, details of interaction and timelines for implementing the guarantees are also being discussed. The main thing is a clear alignment between the sides and the swift implementation of Ukraine’s support package.