Alar Karis at Victory Day: "Estonia is our home, and we will defend it"

Estonian President Alar Karis delivered a speech at the Victory Day parade in Rapla, stressing that national defence rests on the unity of the whole society, not just military power alone. He highlighted Estonia's dramatically strengthened defence capabilities over the past five years and thanked allied forces stationed on Estonian soil.

Estonian President Alar Karis addressed members of the Defence League, residents of Rapla, and supporters of Estonia at the Victory Day parade on June 23, 2026, framing national defence as a shared responsibility that extends far beyond the armed forces.

"This Land Is Ours"

Karis opened his speech with a reflection on belonging, recalling words spoken to him recently by Ukrainian guests: «Our land is not always perfect. But it is ours.» He turned the phrase on Estonia itself, a country that, amid the hustle of everyday life, can sometimes feel distant and bureaucratic, but which ultimately belongs to every one of its people.

«Estonia is not just government offices, presidents and agencies,» Karis said. «It is our home, and for each of us, there can only be one.» He drew on conversations from the recent Spring Storm military exercises, where both conscripts and reservists told him they had taken part out of a desire to defend their home in the broadest sense of the word.

Five Years of Transformation

The president devoted a substantial part of his address to marking the transformation Estonia has undergone since Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine. He said that what has been achieved in five years would once have seemed unthinkable.

By unanimous decision of all political parties, Estonia raised its defence spending from two to five percent of GDP, a difficult but necessary step that funded new weaponry, ammunition, border reinforcement, maritime security improvements, and air defence capabilities. Karis also noted that Estonia has severed its dependence on Russian energy and connected its electricity grid to continental Europe, removing a key lever of Russian pressure.

«Estonia is not looking for confrontation,» Karis said. «But we will not yield our freedom to anyone. We will always defend ourselves.»

Allies and Wider Unity

The president expressed gratitude to allied troops permanently stationed in Estonia, from the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, as well as to Italian and Portuguese pilots who guarded Estonian airspace in the previous year. He welcomed the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, noting that the alliance now has concrete defence plans and that British brigade soldiers know the Estonian forests as well as many Estonians do.

Karis broadened the concept of national defence to include civil resilience: crisis preparedness, essential services, and the coordinated efforts of the Defence Forces, rescue services, police, local governments, businesses, and communities.

Everyone Has a Role

In a memorable closing passage, Karis thanked not only uniformed defenders, soldiers, Kaitseliit members, police officers, border guards, and rescue workers, but also those who defend Estonia without a uniform: teachers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and neighbours who keep communities functioning in times of crisis.

«A home is not only defended by those who stand at the gate,» the president said. «It is also defended by those who keep it warm inside.»

He concluded by wishing Estonians a joyful Victory Day and Midsummer, urging everyone to protect their families and their home, «in both the narrow and the wide sense of the word.»