Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas urged NATO member countries to significantly increase their defense spending, similar to the Baltic states.

Kallas indicated that Estonia will raise the defense spending item in next year's budget to 3.2% of GDP.

Kallas said during a press statement on the sidelines of the annual Baltic Defense Conference held in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, on Tuesday and Wednesday: "This is something I also call for at the NATO level."

Kallas stated: "Look back to 1988 when all NATO members spent more than 1% of their GDP on defense. Why? Because they considered the threat serious. But the threat now is greater than it was during the Cold War because war has returned to Europe."
Representatives from the three Baltic republics and representatives from other NATO countries are participating in the conference.