Minister: The U.S. decision to continue its troop presence in Estonia is a strong message of deterrence

Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur said that the United States has made a significant decision to maintain its military presence in Estonia, reaffirming the U.S.'s continued commitment to the defence of the region and NATO's entire eastern flank.

"We welcome the U.S. decision to continue its troop presence in Estonia. This confirms the importance of our strategic cooperation and the U.S.'s ongoing commitment to the defence of our region and NATO's entire eastern flank," said Minister Pevkur.

"The permanent presence of U.S. forces in Estonia and across NATO's eastern flank is an essential part of deterring Russia and strengthening NATO's defence posture, which ensures peace and security in this region. Today, a U.S. battalion is stationed in southern Estonia, and a U.S. tank unit is based in Tapa," the minister noted.

"The U.S. administration has confirmed that the Baltic States and Poland are exemplary allies who have taken significant steps to strengthen their security by investing at least 5% of our economies in national defence," Pevkur said. "In addition, Estonia provides U.S. units with first-class conditions for hosting allies and training opportunities that help maintain the high combat readiness of U.S. forces and allow them to train together with the Estonian Defence Forces in the local environment."

"We are working to further strengthen the U.S. military presence in our region and are ready to make additional investments in the necessary infrastructure and expanded training opportunities to host our allies," the Estonian Minister of Defence added.

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