Defense Minister Pistorius sees states in the Baltics that are determined to defend themselves against Russia.
Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has encouraged the other NATO states to significantly increase their defense spending following the example of the Baltic republics. She referred to her own country, which will increase this budget item to 3.2 percent of gross domestic product next year.
“And that is something that I also promote at NATO level,” Kallas told the German Press Agency on the sidelines of the Baltic Security Conference. The regional security situation following Russia’s attack on Ukraine will be discussed today in the Estonian capital Tallin.
“Look at the year 1988, when all NATO allies spent more than two percent of their gross domestic product on defense. And why? Because they viewed the danger as serious. But now the danger is greater than during the Cold War, because the war after Europe has returned,” she said.
Kallas: Military service is popular in your country
She passionately advocated military service in her country, which is the basis for recruiting personnel for the armed forces. It is different in Estonia than what she hears from other European countries, where military service is not popular, said Kallas. “Here it’s the other way around. More people are even volunteering.”
Entire school classes joined the military and stayed together as a group of friends. “You learn a lot. It’s educational. You also gain self-defense skills and everything else you need in life. And management skills too,” she said. And: “The young women say to a man who wasn’t in the military, is he even a real man? We’re a little different from others.”
Estonia also offers full-time soldiers an obvious but unusual incentive for service: the stated goal is a salary that is 30 percent above the average wage in a comparable civilian job. However, this puts a strain on the defense budget.
Source: Stern
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