Ukraine, Estonia Sign Defense Pact Focused on Drones, Air Defense

Ukraine and Estonia have signed a Joint Declaration on strengthening cooperation in security and defense, formalizing a new stage in their defense partnership.

In a post on his official Telegram channel, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the document brings together several crucial areas of cooperation between Kyiv and Tallinn, with its main focus being the exchange of military experience between the two countries’ security and defense institutions.

“The exchange of experience, cooperation in the defense industry, and air defense are important areas covered by this document, which consolidates all of these directions,” Zelensky said.

He added that “We are also continuing work on an agreement within the Drone Deal format,” explaining that the countries intend to keep deepening their cooperation through separate agreements.

The declaration was concluded during Zelensky’s visit to Estonia, which came amid Ukraine’s wider efforts to deepen partnerships with European allies and advance its path toward EU membership.

“We also discussed strengthening sanctions, pressure on the Russian Federation and Ukraine’s membership in the European Union,” Zelensky said, placing the declaration in the context of broader diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.

He also pointed to a series of recent high-level meetings with key European partners to discuss security guarantees and long-term support.

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At the latest E3 plus Ukraine summit on Sunday, Zelensky and the leaders of Britain, France and Germany agreed on five conditions for a lasting peace with Russia, including an immediate ceasefire, security guarantees for Ukraine, keeping Russian assets frozen, and safeguarding European security interests in any future settlement. 

Zelensky thanked Estonia for its contributions and ongoing support. The country has been among Ukraine’s most vocal backers since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, consistently supporting military aid, sanctions against Moscow and Ukraine’s future integration into European institutions. 

Zelensky personally thanked Estonian Prime Minister Kristjan Mihal for supporting Ukraine.

 “I awarded the Prime Minister with the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 2nd Class,” he said.

“We value all of Estonia’s contributions to the PURL program,” Zelensky said, adding that “Europe is at its strongest when Europeans act together, not separately.” 

His meeting in Tallinn on Tuesday coincided with a meeting of the Nordic-Baltic cooperation format known as NB8, where five Nordic countries and three Baltic states – Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – met to discuss regional and international security issues.

Zelensky also said Ukraine maintains consistent contact with the United States. “All of this can deliver real results.”