Former Head of the Estonian Defense Forces Maj. Gen. Martin Herem said Estonia would not win a decisive victory in a war unless it invests more funds in defenses and more quickly. The war in Ukraine ought to have taught the West, including Estonia, a number of lessons, upon whichContinue Reading
That Estonia is among the top NATO member states in terms of defense contributions gives the country a disproportionately strong voice when advocating with member states of that organization and of the European Union for defense spending, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) said Monday. Speaking to “Välisilm,” the prime ministerContinue Reading
Finland’s Interior Minister, Mari Rantanen, (Finns) has confirmed to Yle that she supports a proposal put forward by 14 of her party colleagues earlier this week calling for a ban on face coverings in public places. The proposal would effectively mean a ban on the wearing in public of theContinue Reading
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told the Reuters news agency that she opposes the idea of imposing neutrality on Ukraine. Valtonen’s comments were in response to the possibility of incoming US president Donald Trump moving to quickly end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Some of Ukraine’s allies are concerned that UkraineContinue Reading
Incoming US president Donald Trump wants to end the war in Ukraine soon, possibly even before stepping into office, Alexander Stubb said in an interview with the Bloomberg news agency. “I think his [Trump’s] agenda is quite clear. He talks about ending the war in Ukraine.” According to Stubb, Trump’sContinue Reading
Many former high-ranking military officers are moving into prominent defense sector roles as the sector grows. Retired or reservist, senior military officers have transitioned into roles within defense industry companies, a trend partly attributed to the significant growth of the defense market, according to security expert Meelis Oidsalu, who wasContinue Reading
The state is ramping up efforts to detect and counter drones along Estonia’s eastern border and around its major towns and critical or sensitive infrastructure zones. With a hostile eastern neighbor using drone tech more and more, not only for hybrid activities but for criminal activities such as smuggling, aContinue Reading
The Norwegian government has allocated NOK 28 million (USD 2.6 million; EUR 2.4 million) towards stopping the spread of humpback salmon, and NOK 22 million (USD 2 million; EUR 1.9 million) towards treating Norwegian rivers for the Gyrodactylus salaris parasie. Both the invasive salmon and the parasite pose a significantContinue Reading
A SURVEY by Helsingin Sanomat has revealed stubborn and widespread public doubts about the policy agenda of the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP). Policies pursued by the four-party ruling coalition were assessed to make Finland a better place to live in by only a quarter of respondents andContinue Reading
US President-elect Donald Trump should be taken seriously when he talks about ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. Negotiations are possible in the coming months, says Finnish President Alexander Stubb. “We in Europe and the rest of the world need to understand that Donald Trump is very serious about getting aContinue Reading