Costa in Tallinn: Defence to get unprecedented share of new EU budget

European Council President Antonio Costa visited Tallinn on Tuesday, August 25, meeting Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal at Stenbock House. The talks centered on the European Union's next long-term budget for 2028-2034.

Costa said the share of spending allocated to defence in the new EU budget would be unprecedented in scale. He did not name specific figures, but noted that unlike in previous years, defence spending would also go toward defence research, innovation, and the development of defence industry capabilities.

According to Costa, in these areas the European Union can complement the contributions made by member states themselves and by NATO. He also expressed confidence that EU member states understand the need to increase defence spending.

Other topics discussed

Beyond the budget, Michal and Costa also discussed continued support for Ukraine, prospects for European Union enlargement, and strengthening Europe's competitiveness.

Upcoming visits

On August 26, Costa is scheduled to meet Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda in Vilnius and the Latvian prime minister in Riga. On August 27, the European Council president will meet Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš in Prague.