Estonian ambassador Hannes Hanso presents credentials to Trump

Estonia’s ambassador to the United States, Hannes Hanso, presented his credentials to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, ERR reported.

“The alliance between Estonia and the United States is strong, and we highly value the US contribution to security in our region,” Hanso said. He added that Estonia takes its defence seriously and would invest more than 5 percent of its gross domestic product in defence this year.

European allies are taking increasing responsibility for their common security, but the US presence in Europe remains very important to NATO’s strong deterrence and defence posture, Hanso said.

Alongside security and defence cooperation, Estonia wants to deepen cooperation with the United States in maritime security, the economy, digital and cyber security, and energy, he said.

Hanso was born in 1971 in Nõo. He graduated from the University of London in 2005 with a degree in Asian politics. From 2005 to 2007, he worked in the international cooperation department of Estonia’s Ministry of Defence.

From 2009 to 2011, Hanso worked at the European Union representation in China and Mongolia. He has served as mayor of Kuressaare and as a member of the 13th Riigikogu, including as chairman of its Foreign Affairs Committee and National Defence Committee.

Hanso was defence minister from 2015 to 2016 and a member of the European Parliament in 2019. From 2023 to 2026, he served as Estonia’s ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.