NATO and EU leaders back Estonia after it blames Russia for Tallinn arson attack

NATO and EU leaders rallied behind Estonia on Tuesday, after the Baltic country accused Russia of being behind an arson attack in its capital Tallinn.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Moscow was found responsible for the August 15 arson attack against defense company Milrem Robotics, after the government conducted an investigation into the incident.

Milrem Robotics develops ground drones that are used in Ukraine.

"We can conclude with certainty that the arson attack... was an act of sabotage ordered by the special services of the Russian Federation," Tsahkna said on X, adding that the perpetrators had been arrested, and Russia's ambassador had been summoned.

"This act of sabotage is part of Russia's broader campaign across Europe, aimed at intimidating us and weakening our support for Ukraine," Tsahkna said.

NATO chief Mark Rutte backed Estonia, accusing Russia of furthering "its reckless campaign of hostile actions against NATO allies."

"It is trying to weaken our resolve and stop our support for Ukraine," Rutte said, adding that Russia is "failing on the battlefield in Ukraine and it is failing to undermine our unity and support for Ukraine."

Kremlin says links to arson are "baseless"

Estonia has a population of 1.2 million and it borders Russia to the east.

The incident took place on the night of August 15, when a fire broke out in a building used by Milrem Robotics in Tallinn. According to a statement from the Estonian government, authorities were on the scene right away and no injuries were reported.

Three suspects were later detained in Latvia in connection with the arson attack and were handed over to Estonia this month.

The Kremlin responded to the arson investigation findings by dismissing them as "baseless" and with "absolutely no relation to reality."

"We cannot and will not take such statements seriously," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

EU and NATO leaders rally behind Estonia

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul pledged Germany's "full solidarity" with Estonia. "Russia's reckless hostilities will not divide us. They only strengthen our resolve to bolster NATO deterrence and support Ukraine," Wadephul wrote on X.

The EU said it stood by Estonia, saying the arson attack was "reckless" and would not deter the bloc in its support for Ukraine.

"Moscow is trying to scare Europe into winding down its support for Ukraine. This will not happen," European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said.

French President Emmanuel Macron labeled the attack a "dangerous escalation" by Russia. He said it represented another in a "multiplication of these hostile acts."

"Russia needs to know that it will not overcome our unity or our determination to continue supporting Ukraine," Macron wrote on X.

Lithuanian foreign minister Kestutis Budrys said "Russia's fingerprints are all over" the arson attack, adding that it was proof that Moscow's "hostile activities do not stop at Ukraine's borders."

Neighboring Latvia's President Edgars Rinkevics said in response to the incident that "more support for Ukraine ... will be needed and must be provided."

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also commented ont he matter, saying attribution of the arson attack was "extremely serious" and "directed against Europe as a whole."

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko