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Undersecretary Roger takes part in US-Nordic-Baltic foreign and security policy consultations

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

14.11.2025 | 10:06

Martin Roger, Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is in Washington from 12 to 14 November to participate in foreign and security policy consultations between the United States and the Nordic and Baltic countries. The meetings focused on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, NATO priorities, security issues in the Baltic Sea region, and developments in the Indo-Pacific.

"Despite diplomatic efforts by the US and Europe, it is clear that Russia is unwilling to compromise on its demands and has no interest in achieving peace in Ukraine. This is evident in the intensified attacks by Russian forces on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, aimed at making this winter even harsher than any before. Yet the Ukrainian people remain resilient and unbroken — they will not lose this war. We will achieve a just and lasting peace if we continue to provide Ukraine with military, financial, and humanitarian aid, and increase pressure on Russia," Undersecretary Roger said, emphasising the shared conclusion that the US and the Nordic-Baltic countries are more effective when acting together.

Co-chairing the discussion on European security, Roger highlighted that the like-minded Nordic and Baltic countries are among Ukraine's strongest supporters — as demonstrated by the recent joint decision of eight countries to contribute $500 million to the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL). He also noted that the Baltic Sea region countries are leading efforts to strengthen European defence capabilities and apply pressure on Russia, including by countering its shadow fleet. The United States expressed appreciation for the leadership shown by the Nordic and Baltic countries in these areas.

"At the NATO Summit this summer, we made a historic decision to raise defence spending to 5%, and Estonia plans to meet this target as early as 2026. Both the US and other NATO allies have reaffirmed their full commitment to Article 5. Europe must do more to ensure its own security, just as the continued US contribution to the Alliance's security and defence remains critical as a strong deterrent," Roger stated.

Since 2003, consultations under the E-PINE (Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe) format have brought together the United States, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway. These discussions focus on the most pressing current issues among countries with closely linked security interests and a strong will to cooperate. The US delegation was led by Allison Hooker, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs at the US Department of State. Estonia, as the upcoming chair of Nordic-Baltic cooperation, will host the next E-PINE meeting in spring.

In addition to the meetings in Washington, the Nordic and Baltic political directors will visit NATO's Allied Command Transformation (ACT) in Norfolk and the Joint Force Command (JFC), where they will meet with leadership and tour the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.