The Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the Telegraph that Estonia is “always open” to host NATO forces and the British nuclear capable F-35A jets.
Pevkur was asked by the Telegraph if Estonia will allow the British F-35A jets into their country in the future, he replied, “The door is always open for allies.”
This comes days after three Russian MIG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission, Moscow of course denies the incursion.
By the end of the year the UK will buy at least 12 nuclear capable US made F-35A jets and Britain is one of three nuclear powers in NATO.
Estonia only has around 80 active warplanes and relies on allied aircraft to police their skies.
A British military source told the Telegraph the UK will probably not send the nuclear capable jets to Estonia as this will “act less as a deterrence, more as an agitator.
Pevkur told Estonian parliament defence and foreign affairs committee, “And when we start talking about whether we should bring in more fighter jets or air defence systems, this is exactly what Russia wants — to divert our attention away from helping Ukraine, and to focus on our own backyard.”
NATO allies met on Tuesday after Estonia invoked Article 4 of the treaty which comes a week after Poland triggered the Article.
NATO called the Russian incursion of Estonia’s airspace “part of a wider pattern of increasingly irresponsible Russian behaviour.”
“Russia should be in no doubt: NATO and allies will employ, in accordance with international law, all necessary military and non-military tools to defend ourselves and deter all threats from all directions,” the statement read.
“We will continue to respond in the manner, timing, and domain of our choosing. Our commitment to Article 5 is ironclad.”
