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Tsahkna meets with Rubio: NATO Allies are firmly committed to collective defense

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

25.09.2025 | 20:41

On September 24, during the UN High-Level Week, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss primarily European and U.S. cooperation in pressuring Russia toward peace, as well as the security of NATO allies.

"Europe and the U.S. must continue joint efforts to reduce the economic means essential for Russia to sustain its aggression," Tsahkna said during the traditional transatlantic dinner meeting with Secretary Rubio. "Estonia is working to ensure that the European Union swiftly adopts a strong 19th sanctions package and moves forward with imposing tariffs and utilizing Russia's frozen assets."

"It is also crucial to ensure that Ukraine has the military resources to resist Russian aggression and protect its population from Russia's aerial terror," Tsahkna added, emphasizing the importance of NATO's initiative to rapidly deliver essential military equipment to Ukraine (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, PURL).

Tsahkna also thanked Rubio for the U.S. support following last Friday's brazen violation of Estonian airspace by three Russian fighter jets. "NATO has clearly expressed unity and unwavering commitment to collective defense," Tsahkna stated.

Additionally, Foreign Ministers Tsahkna and Rubio discussed security-related topics at a high-level maritime security meeting co-hosted by Estonia, the U.S., Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and other global partners.

"Ensuring maritime security is a topic that unites countries from all over the world," Tsahkna said at the meeting attended by representatives from 35 countries, where he focused his remarks on countering threats from shadow fleets. "International cooperation to deter shadow fleets is key to protecting critical underwater infrastructure, ensuring freedom of navigation, and preventing potential environmental disasters."

While in New York, Minister Tsahkna also met with U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, opened an event for the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), which Estonia currently chairs, and delivered a lecture at Columbia University on Estonian and European security.