Estonia seeks to buy Ukrainian-made weapons – but restrictions apply

Estonia aims to support Ukraine's defense industry by purchasing its weapons, but wartime restrictions present challenges.

Oct 14, 2024 - 03:00

Estonia seeks to buy Ukrainian-made weapons – but restrictions apply

Production of Ukrainian self-propelled howitzer Bohdana

Estonia plans to purchase armaments from Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex, as Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur announced to Estonian media outlet ERR. This cooperation aims to boost Ukraine’s production capacity, which has significantly increased over the past two years.

Ukraine now can produce about $20 billion worth of weapons and equipment annually, though its state budget can only fund around $6 billion. Estonia, a steadfast ally of Ukraine, seeks to support these efforts despite Ukraine’s current ban on arms exports due to martial law. Pevkur believes this restriction won’t impede an agreement, as the collaboration would benefit both nations.

“Long-range missiles are, of course, interesting for us,” Pevkur stated. “We’re primarily looking at systems that can affect the adversary at long range.”

He plans to meet with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Brussels next week, followed by a visit to Ukraine.

This initiative builds on the 10-year bilateral security agreement signed on 26 June, where Estonia committed to providing Ukraine with over 100 million euros in defense aid this year. From 2024 to 2027, Estonia will allocate at least 0.25% of its GDP annually for Ukraine’s military support.

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