ESTONIAN DEFENCE FORCES
- 04.11.2024
Latest news from NATO
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the Washington Treaty, which was signed on 4 April 1949.
Quotes
Estonia is a small country and we must be able to defend ourselves.
Keeping your freedom is like rolling a stone up a hill every morning.
In my eyes, Estonia becoming a member of NATO was the fulfillment of every person's dream.
We must maintain our strong alliance.
"The rise in superiority of innovative offensive technologies (including drones) has caused an accelerating shift in the military economic balance. Such a shift encourages aggressive regimes to initiate and escalate conflicts - offensive costs are disproportionately small compared to defense costs."
"Seeing women performing national defense duties is not a new phenomenon in Estonia. We know from the example of both us and the allied countries that women are just as valuable and skilled contributors to national defense as men. Knowledge, skills, will and courage are the key words that make gender less important and create content for the uniform wearer. The strength and constancy of our resistance to an aggressor in any way depends on the durability of our values. Therefore, I believe that we are able to further improve the attitudes in society and in the field of national defense more narrowly, which make the contribution of women to national defense less important."
"100 UN member states have adopted the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Because of the war in Ukraine, we understand even more the need to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace and Security". In military conflicts, women among civilians experience the most gender-based violence. The implementation of the national action plan, the participation of the whole society in national defense and the strengthening of the role of women in ensuring peace and security are more important than ever before."
"I dare to say that because of the war in Ukraine, an increasing number of young people in Estonia and our closest allies understand the necessity of military service. As a result, we as a society will live even more with them - nearly 2,000 future leaders and specialists of the defense forces, who will start the transition to reserve service in July. Young public defenders - be open to cooperation and see a lot of responsibility and challenges as a worthwhile opportunity for self-development! You are the ones whose values and drive will be reflected in our entire reserve force in less than a year. A sharp mind and firm decisions!"
"Each ally is worth its weight in gold to us, so the addition of each new member to NATO is welcome. Nevertheless, let's not forget that the best protected are those who are ready to defend themselves; only in this way can we be the reliable partners we deserve in the eyes of our allies protection and who can be relied on in foreign operations."
"The cooperation between NATO and the European Union is crucial in order to maximize the security of the member states. NATO is and will remain the cornerstone of European security. The European Union is not a collective defense organization, but it complements NATO's activities in the field of security in other domains. For example, the European Union has a unique toolbox, which is why the organization is well adapted to combat hybrid, cyber and disinformation threats. The European Union also has the economic means to finance the elimination of member states' defense capacity deficits, and to support development and research activities and innovation. A stronger European Union means a stronger NATO and vice versa."
"I think the most important thing is to support each other."
"Ukraine is fighting for us and our future."
NATO Article 5 as "one for all and all for one"
The future of NATO is that it is bigger, stronger and more united than ever before.
"There should be more women at the decision-making tables."
"On NATO´s Article 5, I would advocate for the strongest stance."
"Hybrid activities can also become a direct military threat."
"It is much cheaper to win wars in people's heads than to conquer territory with tanks."
"The challenge is to avoid simple but wrong answers."
"We need to check the background of the content we consume more so as not to share false information."
"Psychological security is supported by being well acquainted with our own history."
"It is very important for Estonia that NATO continues its central role."