Estonia may ask the United States for permission to purchase ammunition from other suppliers, the head of Estonia’s parliamentary defense committee Kalev Stoicescu (Eesti 200) said.
The United States has halted ammunition deliveries to Estonia at least until the conflict involving Iran is resolved.
Speaking on ERR, Stoicescu said the suspension affects not only Estonia but several European allies.
“It has been publicly explained that this does not concern only Estonia but many other European allies whose deliveries have currently been put on hold,” Stoicescu said. “The United States has explained the reasons, and they are understandable. Activity in Iran and the surrounding region has been paused; there is a ceasefire, and President [Donald] Trump has just extended it again.”
Stoicescu described the situation as uncertain and subject to change.
“In a sense, this is like a wall switch going on and off,” he said. “There is still uncertainty about whether this could continue in the future, depending on circumstances. We are being understanding toward the positions and needs of our largest ally and hope they will also be understanding of our plans.”
He said assessments of when deliveries might resume vary widely. Some estimates suggest shipments could restart within months, while worst‑case scenarios foresee delays lasting several years.
“That would truly be a problem,” Stoicescu said. “In any case, we will need to look at alternatives.”
Stoicescu said alternative ammunition sources exist outside the United States, but using them would depend on U.S. approval.
“Alternatives certainly exist, because multiple‑launch rocket systems — the platforms and systems themselves — are manufactured in several countries,” he said. “It’s clear that not just any ammunition can be used with U.S.-made HIMARS, but compatible alternatives do exist.”
He said the issue is both technical and political.
“One question is technical. The other is whether the Americans would agree that, in an emergency, we stockpile and purchase ammunition from elsewhere,” Stoicescu said. “I’ve heard such ammunition is produced in countries like Turkey or Israel, but it’s too early to go into details.”
Stoicescu said Estonia has adjusted its defense planning to reflect greater urgency, accelerating timelines for procurement and capability development.
“The key word is urgency,” he said. “Things that were originally planned over four, six, or eight years, we are now trying to accomplish in two, three, four, or five years.”
He added that the supply pause should not damage Estonia’s relationship with the United States.
“Adjustments will be made regardless — based not only on needs or supply chains, but also on other ongoing decisions,” Stoicescu said.
—
