NATO will not collapse and US will defend its allies, Estonian minister says

NATO member Estonia has no doubt that the United States would help defend it if Russia attacks, its defence minister told Reuters, while warning that Europe is not ready to stand up to Moscow on its own.



Estonian intelligence warned in February its neighbour Russia is already stockpiling ammunition for future wars after the conflict in Ukraine ends. Russia has described allegations by European leaders that it could attack NATO as nonsense.



U.S. President Donald Trump this month threatened to pull the U.S. out of the alliance over European members' refusal to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz near Iran. The alliance was already rattled by his plans to take over Greenland from Denmark, a NATO ally.



But Hanno Pevkur, defence minister of Estonia, told Reuters he was in no doubt that the U.S. would come to its defence if Russia attacks.

"Yes I trust the U.S. and yes I trust all our allies," he said during a visit to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Thursday.



He said the U.S. needs Europe for its military as much as Europe needs the U.S., so "I don't believe that NATO will collapse".