What happened
Estonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, met with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband in London to discuss defense cooperation and support for Ukraine. Tsahkna praised the UK's contribution to Estonia's security and its readiness to stand alongside Estonian soldiers. The meeting focused on Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the importance of continued support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia to end the war.
The UK has been the lead nation in the NATO allied land deployment in Estonia for nearly a decade. Tsahkna emphasized the importance of British troops in Estonia as part of a strong deterrence and defense posture. The two ministers also discussed potential cooperation in light of the Ukraine Recovery Conference taking place in Estonia in January.
Tsahkna and Miliband agreed on the need for continued pressure on Russia to end its aggression and secure a lasting peace. They also discussed further defense cooperation between the two countries, including the UK's role as the lead nation in the NATO battlegroup based at Tapa and its deployment to Estonia as Britain's largest land force deployment for a number of years.
