Estonia’s defense minister has dismissed remarks by a presidential advisor regarding a possible military deployment
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has insisted that neither Tallinn nor the European Union are considering proposals to deploy troops to Ukraine.
He was commenting on remarks made by Madis Roll, the national security advisor to Estonian President Alar Karis, who told news outlet Breaking Defense last week that the country was “seriously” considering sending troops to fill “rear” roles in Ukraine.
According to Roll, the Estonian government is weighing up the potential move in a bid to help Kiev solve its manpower problem and send more soldiers to the front line.
The article reported that Estonian troops could be positioned away from the battlefield and assume non-direct combat roles from Ukrainian Armed Forces in order to free them up to fight on the front line.
The outlet said Roll had suggested that the move could be part of a full NATO mission “to show broader combined strength and determination,” but didn’t rule out the possibility of Estonia acting with a smaller group of allies.
The idea “has not reached anywhere” either in Estonia or at EU level, Pevkur said, adding that there had been no specific discussion within government on the matter.
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