The war in Ukraine has entered its twentieth day and as we look on in outrage at the atrocities being committed by Russia, more needs to be done to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty. The world has shown solidarity with Ukraine and together, our help and donations have made a difference.
Estonia is no stranger to Russia's playbook and knows what is at stake. Yesterday the Estonian parliament voted overwhelmingly to call on the world to implement a no fly zone over Ukraine. Ukraine is in urgent need of protecting its skies.
Estonia stands firmly with Ukraine. Donations have been flooding in from private individuals and businesses. People are only too happy to help.
Estonia has responded to Ukraine's request for assistance and to date, has contributed €220 million worth of aid to Ukraine in the following way:
* Provided more than 2000 tons of military, humanitarian and medical assistance. Including Javelin anti-tank missiles, ammunition and eight new ambulance vehicles.
* 15 tonnes of food aid
* Accepted over 22,000 war refugees from Ukraine, including 7,000 children
Help for the refugees.
Estonia has been very welcoming towards the Ukrainian war refugees and great efforts have been made to make them feel comfortable and safe in Estonia. The government has done this by handing out soft toys to children upon arrival and allowing all Ukrainian war refugees to travel on Estonian trains and buses free of charge. In addition to this, refugees have been granted free access to Estonian museums. The University of Tartu is playing their part too. They are offering scholarships to Ukrainians and from today, the University of Tartu’s College of Foreign Languages and Cultures is starting to teach Ukrainian.
