Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with leaders of the Nordic and Baltic states on Tuesday in Tallinn, Estonia, during the summit of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) group, where he participated as a guest. The NB8 includes Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Zelensky held bilateral talks with several prime ministers and met with Estonian President Alar Karis.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, who hosted the summit, confirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron also joined the discussions via video link. Macron emphasized continued support for Ukraine until a "just and lasting peace" is secured. Zelensky expressed gratitude toward the NB8 countries, describing the format as “extremely practical” in addressing the challenges Ukraine faces amid the ongoing conflict.

The Nordic and Baltic nations have been some of Ukraine’s strongest allies throughout the war, which has persisted since Russia’s full-scale invasion began more than four years ago. According to the Estonian State Chancellery, the NB8 countries, five of which share borders with Russia, have collectively provided more than 42 billion euros (approximately $48.6 billion) in aid to Ukraine to date. When measured relative to population size, this constitutes the highest per-capita support worldwide.

A significant topic at the summit was the prevention of unintended drone incursions. Ukrainian forces have deployed drones in military operations targeting sites in northwestern Russia, but some of these unmanned aerial vehicles have strayed into the airspace of neighboring Baltic states and Finland, occasionally resulting in crashes. Estonia was the first of the Baltic countries where NATO fighter jets intercepted and shot down an unauthorized drone. On Monday, a similar incident occurred over Latvia, where an unmanned aerial vehicle was also downed without causing major damage or injuries.

In connection with these incidents, Estonia and Latvia signed agreements with Ukraine aimed at enhancing cooperative measures on drone defense. This development underscores the regional concern over airspace security amid the ongoing conflict and reflects efforts to strengthen military and security ties between Ukraine and its northern European neighbors.