Tsahkna says new US military contingent will soon arrive in Estonia

The United States will soon send a new military contingent to Estonia, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told ERR in New York on Tuesday.

Tsahkna said Washington had informed Estonia that US troops would remain in the country following a review of its force rotations. A new rotation is expected to begin shortly, he said.

“US troops in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland ensure our security and send a very clear message to Russia that it should not even consider aggression,” Tsahkna said.

He urged people to respond calmly to the departure of US units stationed in Estonia earlier this summer. Tsahkna said Estonia had presented several arguments for maintaining US forces in the Baltic states and Poland to ensure stability and peace and to deter aggression.

Estonia has also offered to cover the costs of keeping allied troops in the country, Tsahkna said. He added that Estonia is spending 5.4 percent of its gross domestic product on defence and that its relations with the United States have remained reliable.

The United States is currently reviewing its forces stationed in Europe, which could lead to changes in their deployment. Lithuanian leaders have also said that a new US unit of about 1,000 soldiers will soon arrive in Lithuania.