NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Estonian President Alar Karis met in Brussels on Wednesday (3 September 2025) to discuss NATO's ongoing support to Ukraine, deterrence and defence, and the implementation of key decisions from the NATO Summit in The Hague.
The Secretary General thanked Estonia for its major contributions to the Alliance, highlighting its role in hosting the UK-led Forward Land Forces in Tapa and NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission at Ämari Air Base. He also noted Estonia's leadership in cyber defence, innovation, and support to Ukraine.
On defence investment and the agreement by Allies at the NATO Summit in The Hague to invest 5% of GDP in defence by 2035, Secretary General Rutte pointed to Estonia as an example: "Estonia is leading the way. You are already close to this benchmark, and plan to go even further in the coming years," said Mr Rutte, underlining that these investments strengthen NATO's deterrence and defence, and demonstrate Estonia's unwavering commitment to the Alliance.
Mr Rutte praised Estonia's strong support to Ukraine, including its commitment to provide at least 0.25% of GDP annually in military aid, and its contributions through NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package.
On NATO's broader support to Ukraine, the Secretary General highlighted the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a new initiative launched by NATO and the United States to deliver urgent military assistance to Ukraine. In just a few weeks, "this mechanism has channelled 2 billion dollars' worth of urgently needed aid to Ukraine - from ammunition to air defence. From the US to Ukraine, paid for by Allies. And more packages are coming," said the Secretary General.
Looking ahead, the Secretary General emphasised the importance of continued investment in defence and close transatlantic cooperation to implement NATO's decisions from the Summit in The Hague. "We know and we agree that Russia remains the most significant and direct threat to Euro-Atlantic security," he said. "So we must remain vigilant, invest more in defence, expand defence industrial production on both sides of the Atlantic, and continue to support Ukraine."
