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EU Observer (4 June 2026)

Tomáš Hrivňák

As Russia’s war against Ukraine rages into its fifth year — with stray drones, aircraft incursions and threats felt across the Baltics — the question of whether citizens are willing to defend their country is becoming increasingly important. For countries like Estonia, it has been a key research focus for years.

The latest results of the annual survey published by the Estonian ministry of defence came in on Monday (1 June). They show that while Estonians’ willingness to take part in defending the country remains high overall. However, the biggest perceived threats are misinformation and cyberattacks, not a big military conflict.

A clear majority of Estonia’s population, 81 percent, believes the country should mount armed resistance if attacked by another state, regardless of the attacker.

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