The updated strategy states that in the event of a crisis or war, Estonia’s security of supply solutions must be able to ensure the maintenance of society for 30 days until connection to the rest of the world is restored, writes ERR News.
In simple terms, this means that if Estonia is completely cut off by air, land and sea in the event of war, the country must be able to cope on its own for 30 days without help from the outside world. At the same time, it is also expected that the population itself is prepared to cope independently for at least seven days.
In this way, Estonia would be prepared not only for the worst-case scenario, but would also be able to cope in the event of smaller crises.
The strategic document, which outlines the main lines of Estonia’s security policy, was last updated in 2023. Since then, the international security situation has changed significantly, and work on updating the document began in the fall of 2025.
The document, published on the 9th of April, and its accompanying explanatory memorandum state that Russia remains the greatest threat to the security of Estonia and the entire Euro-Atlantic area. Russia’s “imperialist policy of aggression aims to undermine and reshape Europe’s security architecture and the rules-based world order and restore its sphere of influence,” the document states.
Turning to the security environment,
the document notes that over the past three years the international security landscape has become more unpredictable,
and the existing world order is increasingly under pressure. It also points to changes in the US approach to international alliances, and thus emphasizes the need for Europe to play a greater role in its own defense.
Attention is also drawn to the role of China. The document states that China, along with North Korea, Belarus and Iran, supports Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and emphasizes China’s growing influence in the global economy and technology, which has allowed it to strengthen its position on the international stage.
Compared to the 2023 version, the updated strategy introduces the principles of active defense. This does not mean that the previous principle of territorial defense has been abandoned; rather, the goal is to ensure that there is no active hostilities on Estonian soil at all. The new approach means that Estonia would not cede territory to the enemy in order to then try to retake it, but instead would transfer hostilities to the enemy’s territory. This would also reduce civilian casualties.
Although Finland joined NATO in 2023, and Sweden in 2024, the document still states that the Baltic states are a single operational zone.
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