Estonia will propose to leaders of the UK-led NATO alliance of northern European countries to spend at least 2.5% of their GDP on defense in response to the Russian threat, Prime Minister Kristen Michal said Monday.
Only 23 of NATO’s 32 members are on track to meet the Alliance’s target of devoting at least 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to defense spending.
“Everyone in NATO and the EU right now has a feeling that defense spending needs to be increased, because of what is happening around the world and with Russia,” Michal said. during an interview with Reuters.
“Europe, as the richest region in the world, must spend more on defense, security and safety.”
Michal is hosting the leaders of the alliance, called the Joint Expeditionary Force, in Tallinn this week and will focus discussions on Russia’s “ghost fleet” of tankers, which he described as an “environmental disaster in the making.”
Estonia has doubled its defense spending since the start of the nearly three-year-old war in Ukraine, reaching 3.2% of GDP in 2024.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in July he would increase UK defense spending to 2.5% of GDP, but only when the country can afford it and after a review of defense strategy.
Future US President Donald Trump has said he wants to end the war in Ukraine quickly, without revealing details of how he plans to do so, and Michal has said it is important to ensure lasting peace.
He proposed using 200-300 billion euros of Russia’s frozen assets abroad to rebuild Ukraine, and imposing additional taxes on Russian products to raise up to 300 billion euros additional.
This would help bring about lasting peace, Michal said, because Russia would not be able to continue hostilities, including so-called hybrid attacks, and Ukraine’s military resources would also have to be strengthened.
“Ukraine is part of Europe, it should be a member of NATO,” Michal added.
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