Some countries should pay more
Estonia demands 0.25 percent of GDP for aid to Ukraine
March 19, 2024, 7:23 p.m
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Germany is often accused of doing too little for Ukraine. Wrongfully so, says Estonia’s Prime Minister Kallas. During her visit to Berlin, she defends the host country and at the same time criticizes other, including “big” countries. She also presents a plan on how to “outdo” Russia.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has proposed that all NATO members reserve 0.25 percent of their economic output for military aid to Ukraine. “We calculated that if all members of the Ramstein coalition pledged at least 0.25 percent of GDP in military aid to Ukraine, this could trump Russia,” she said at a conference during her visit to Berlin. The Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine, the so-called Ramstein Coalition, consists of over 50 states.
Kallas also called for NATO to go beyond the previous goal of spending two percent of economic output on defense. “I would like to see more than three percent,” she said. Russia only understands a signal of strength.
Kallas recalled that during the Cold War in 1988, all NATO states spent more than two percent on security, and some even spent six percent. “And why? Because the threat was real. And that was the Cold War. Now we have a hot war in Europe, and not all European allies are doing enough,” criticized Kallas. She knows that it is difficult to justify this in all countries because it requires unpopular decisions. Estonia had to increase taxes in order to be able to spend more than three percent on defense. “But we have no other choice because we want to remain independent.
Kallas praised the fact that Germany is doing a lot for Ukraine. “Considering the political background you come from, the turnaround you’ve made in your politics, it’s a lot,” she said. “I would say there is too much pressure on Germany. Germany is criticized for everything, while there are other countries in the world or in Europe that could do much more – and that are also big countries,” she added without saying to name names.