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Estonia's support to Ukraine

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

10.01.2024

Supporting Ukraine is a long-term foreign policy priority for Estonia. Since the start of Russia's full-scale aggression, Estonia has offered Ukraine political, economic and military assistance, ensured the necessary humanitarian aid, and has begun reconstruction.

We support Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO, we stand for holding war criminals accountable and isolating Russia in international organisations, we support the activities of international financial organisations, we are encouraging and supporting Estonian businesses to participate in recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine and by ramping up international economic sanctions, we are reducing Russia's ability to wage its war of aggression. Our support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering and we will continue offering Ukraine every assistance until the war is won.

The total sum of Estonia's assistance to Ukraine given since 24 February 2022 and planned for 2024-27 is €1.2 billion. This includes:

• €316 million in civilian assistance
• €900 million in military assistance

Main support areas and sums for the 2022-2027 period

Humanitarian aid - €30 million

The entire society of Estonia is providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Our assistance is mainly aimed at the regions most affected by the war and at refugees and internally displaced people. We have helped to restore Ukraine's energy infrastructure, assisted with humanitarian demining operations, helped with winterisation and contributed to managing the aftermath of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.

Development cooperation and reconstruction in Ukraine - €63.5 million

Estonia is one of the first countries to embark on reconstruction in Ukraine. Our activities are focused on the Zhytomyr Oblast. In the upcoming years, our focus is on education, rehabilitation, construction and digital affairs.

Examples of projects:

• In the summer of 2023, an energy-efficient kindergarten was completed in Ovruch. We also provided training for the staff of the kindergarten.
• Estonia contributed €1 million to the major repairs of the 152-metre long Malyn Bridge, which was destroyed in the war.
• In cooperation with the Olena Zelenska Fund, Estonia began preparations for building family homes for orphaned children in 2023.
• Estonia has offered long-term support to building the Ukrainian state and shared its reform experience, including for building Ukraine's e-governance. Estonia is supporting Ukraine on its path to the European Union by training Ukrainian officials in European integration.

The Tallinn Mechanism - €0.5 million

Estonia is the central coordinator of cyber assistance in Kyiv through the Tallinn Mechanism, which includes 10 donors and two observers (NATO and the EU) in addition to Ukraine. In 2024, we are contributing €500 000. The coalition aims to match the needs of Ukraine to the means of donors in both the short and long term. In parallel with the Tallinn Mechanism, there is the IT Coalition in the format of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (so-called Ramstein Group) that is co-chaired by Estonia and Luxembourg. The aim of the IT Coalition is to support providing the Ukrainian Armed Forces with secure ICT infrastructure corresponding to NATO standards.

Aid to refugees - €120 million

More than 50 000 refugees from Ukraine have received temporary protection in Estonia, which is nearly 3% of Estonia's population. In the autumn of 2022, a special school for Ukrainian pupils - the Freedom School - was established in Tallinn. The school mostly follows Estonia's national curriculum but continues teaching Ukrainian language and culture. One third of the teachers are Ukrainian and most of them are refugees themselves. The majority of Ukrainian children are studying in various schools across Estonia, where specially trained pedagogues and support staff has been hired to teach them and help them adapt.

Support through international financial organisations - €77.6 million

Creating a guarantee system to enable the operation of Estonian companies on the Ukrainian market - €25 million

Freezing Russian assets and using them for reconstruction in Ukraine

Estonia is looking for ways to establish a legal mechanism that would serve as a basis for using the frozen assets of the Russian state and individuals linked to Russia's aggression to help Ukraine in Estonia and across the EU. According to estimates, there are frozen Russian assets worth a total of €300 billion in the EU and G7 states. There are about €19 million worth of frozen Russian assets in Estonia.

Military and defence support - €900 million

• Estonia was among the first countries to provide defence assistance to Ukraine even before the start of Russia's full-scale aggression on 24 February 2022, sending Javelin antitank missiles.
• As of early 2024, Estonia has provided Ukraine with military aid worth around €500 million or more than 1.3% of its GDP; in relation to population size, Estonia is among the greatest military supporters of Ukraine.
• Estonia has provided Ukraine with weapons (howitzers, various kinds of antitank equipment, mortars, and various handguns), equipment (vehicles, military uniform, medical supplies, PPE, communications equipment) and large quantities of different kinds of ammunition. The latest military aid package was approved in December 2023.
• In cooperation with Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Iceland, we have donated four fully equipped mobile field hospitals.
• We have conducted military training for more than 1300 Ukrainian soldiers.
• More than 240 fighters of Ukraine's armed forces have undergone rehabilitation at the Seli Health Centre.
• On the initiative of Estonia and Luxembourg, the IT Coalition was launched in Ramstein on 19 September 2023 with the aim of supporting the creation of a secure ICT infrastructure that would increase the battle capabilities of Ukraine's armed forces and meet NATO standards.
• The Government of Estonia has affirmed its readiness to support Ukraine in the next four years with around 0.25% of the GDP per year, that is, with more than €100 million each year. In addition of providing Ukraine with critically important ammunition and weaponry, we will continue with providing training and leading the IT-Coalition, as well as actively looking for opportunities to support Ukraine in the field of defence procurement.