- WIADOMOŚCI
Estonia changes its defence minister
Photo. Estonian Foreign Ministry / Wikimedia Commons
Estonia is preparing for an important change at the Ministry of Defence. Hanno Pevkur stepped down after controversy surrounding a €70 million ammunition procurement for Ukraine, while former Estonian Defence Forces commander Gen. Martin Herem is now expected to take over. The change comes at a particularly important moment, with Estonia increasing defence spending, supporting Ukraine and preparing for a long-term Russian threat.
Pevkur’s departure is important because he accepted political responsibility for problems in an area formally under his authority. The controversy concerned ammunition intended for Ukraine and money paid to companies without a proven record of delivering such weapons. For a country that has been one of Kyiv’s strongest supporters, this was not only a procurement problem but also a question of credibility.
Herem would bring a very different profile. He has extensive military experience, commanded the Estonian Defence Forces and knows both the capabilities and weaknesses of Estonia’s defence system. He has also consistently warned against underestimating Russia. His assessments have often been critical, including towards earlier expectations that Moscow would quickly exhaust its military resources.
At the same time, Herem has never questioned Estonia’s direction within NATO. Quite the opposite. His approach is based on stronger national defence combined with a strong allied presence. He also wants defence expenditure to remain at around 5 per cent of GDP, which shows how seriously he treats the Russian threat.
His potential appointment should therefore strengthen the military dimension of Estonia’s defence policy. Herem knows the armed forces, understands Russia and has experience that few politicians can match. The question now is how effectively he can move from commanding the military to managing the political, financial and industrial side of defence.
