They were already not very good, diplomatic relations between Estonia and Russia are on the verge of breaking off. In fact, on Jan. 11, Tallinn announced the expulsion of several Russian “diplomats” to achieve “parity” with the number of its diplomatic staff based in Moscow … which made the decision in April 2022 to close the Estonian consulates in Saint Petersburg and Pskov … already in retaliation for actions by the Baltic countries shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine.
Finally, on January 25, the Russian authorities responded… by declaring the Estonian ambassador to Russia persona non gratae. And he has until February 7th to pack his bags…
“In recent years, the Estonian leadership has deliberately destroyed all relations with Russia. Total Russophobia and the culture of hostility towards our country have been elevated to the rank of state policy by Tallinn,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. And he added: “Full responsibility for the development of this situation in Russia-Estonia relations lies with the Estonian side. We will continue to respond to the hostile actions of the Estonian leadership.”
Tallinn’s response will not be long in coming. Just a few hours after this announcement, the Russian ambassador to Estonia was also asked to leave Estonian territory by February 7th.
“We respect the principle of reciprocity in relations with Russia,” argued Estonian diplomacy.
At the same time, Estonian Ambassador to Ukraine Kaimo Kuusk claimed that Tallinn would surrender all its arms [tractés] 155mm FH-70 in Kyiv. However, it had already been discussed at the meeting of Ukraine supporters organized in Ramstein [Allemagne], January 20. However, the extent of this aid was not specified.
“In this way, we want to set a precedent so that other countries have no excuse for not supplying Ukraine with the necessary weapons to win the war,” Kuusk said on social media.
The Estonian Army’s 24 FH-70 howitzers will be part of a much larger “military support package” that includes 122mm D-30 cannons [que Tallinn voulait donner à Kiev avant le début de la guerre… malgré l’opposition de l’Allemagne, ces pièces provenant des stocks de l’ex-République démocratique allemande, ndlr], thousands of 155mm grenades, hundreds of Karl Gustaf anti-tank grenade launchers with their ammunition and “support means for artillery units”. This corresponds to aid worth 113 million euros.
“This increases our aid to Ukraine to 400 million euros or 1.1% of our GDP,” said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur. “If all countries of the European Union did the same, aid to the Ukrainian army would reach around 150 billion euros,” he stressed.
It should be noted that Denmark has not skimped on its military aid either, as it will deliver the 19 CAESArs to Kyiv [Camions équipés d’un système d’artillerie] ordered from France.
By the way, the donation of the FH-70 howitzers could be subject to a permit from Berlin, since these artillery pieces were manufactured by the German Rheinmetall and the British Vickers. However, Italy has already delivered several copies to the Ukrainian army.
Furthermore, the announcement of this new Estonian military aid comes as Germany is under pressure to authorize the transfer of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine…
” We need it. Not ten or twenty, but several hundred. Today, every combat-capable tank must be on our front. Because this is not only the Ukrainian front. This is the battlefield where civilization faces the swamps of backwardness and barbarism” , argued Andrïi Iermak, Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Presidency.But even with the best will in the world, finding so many available tanks in the short term will be very complicated… if not impossible.
Photo: Estonian Ministry of Defense