Pevkur resigns as Estonia’s defence minister

Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur has announced his resignation, saying the State Audit Office’s findings on the Defence Forces and the State Defence Investment Centre require him to take political responsibility, ERR reported.

Pevkur said on the public broadcaster’s Aktuaalne kaamera programme that he was ready to accept responsibility for the entire area of government under his ministry and that the prime minister would have to find a new defence minister.

“A leader must have the courage and stature to take responsibility even when it is not personal responsibility, but political responsibility serving the greater goal of defending the state,” Pevkur said.

In a social media post published alongside the interview, Pevkur said the State Audit Office’s findings primarily concerned the activities of the Defence Forces and the State Defence Investment Centre, known by its Estonian acronym RKIK.

“Although the minister does not count socks and cartridges or conduct contract negotiations, the findings raise the question of political responsibility,” Pevkur wrote. “Therefore, I believe it is right to take political responsibility today for the entire defence sector and hand the defence minister’s baton to the prime minister at a suitable time.”

Pevkur said he was stepping down with the firm belief that the government had made the right decisions to strengthen national defence. He added that Estonia was better protected than ever before and thanked defence personnel, members of the Defence League, officials, the defence industry and the country’s allies.

His resignation must be approved by the Riigikogu, Estonia’s parliament. The legislature’s regular autumn session begins on September 14, meaning Pevkur will remain in office at least until mid-September.

Pevkur has served as defence minister since 2022.

The issue emerged after it was reported that Estonia had sought to buy artillery shells for Ukraine and paid Indian companies a total of 70 million euros in advance. The companies had allegedly never sold a single shell before.

The State Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into whether accounting requirements were breached in the area administered by the Defence Ministry or accounting documents were concealed from the State Audit Office.

Magnus-Valdemar Saar, the former head of the State Defence Investment Centre, said no major decision had been made without the approval of Defence Ministry leaders. He said that, in addition to Pevkur, then-Chancellor Kusti Salm was aware of the matter during negotiations on the first contract, while the new chancellor, Kaimo Kuusk, was subsequently kept informed.

Pevkur said he had not read the contracts, although RKIK had brought them to him. Asked why, he said the defence minister was not required to deal with such details.

“The defence minister does not conduct contract negotiations or count socks and cartridges. The defence minister makes the principled decision to support Ukraine. Preparatory work for contract negotiations and finding contract partners is the responsibility of RKIK,” Pevkur said.

A parliamentary special committee discussed confusion in the defence sector’s accounting on Wednesday morning. The meeting was prompted by the State Audit Office’s summary report, which highlighted problems in the sector.

Toomas Uibo, head of the Estonia 200 parliamentary group, Social Democratic Party leader Lauri Läänemets and Isamaa leader Urmas Reinsalu had all publicly said that Pevkur should resign.