On October 22, the first official visit of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, to the Republic of Estonia took place.

As part of the visit, he met with the President of the Republic of Estonia, Alar Karis, the Speaker of the Riigikogu, Lauri Hussar, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia, Kristen Michal.

During the meeting with his counterpart, Speaker of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar, Ruslan Stefanchuk expressed his gratitude to the Speaker personally and to the members of the Riigikogu for their unwavering support of Ukraine, as well as for the statements adopted by the Estonian parliament in support of our country.

Separately, the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament expressed gratitude for the recent decision by the Riigikogu of Estonia to recognize the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars as genocide. ‘’This year, we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatars, and the Riigikogu's decision is both significant and of current importance for us,’’ Ruslan Stefanchuk stated.

After the meeting, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, delivered a speech in the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu, where he presented Ukraine's Victory Plan.

In his address, Ruslan Stefanchuk also expressed his gratitude to Estonia for its significant support since the beginning of the full-scale war, highlighting the important role the country plays in strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities. He recalled Estonia's substantial contributions, including the delivery of weapons and the implementation of strategic sanctions against Russia. The Speaker also highlighted Estonia's leadership in international support for Ukraine, particularly through the development of a long-term support strategy for 2024–2027.

In his speech, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine also called for strengthening defense support. Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasized the importance of increasing military aid and accelerating its delivery.

He specifically highlighted the need to secure Ukraine's skies by providing air defense systems, establishing a "humanitarian air shield," lifting restrictions on the supply of long-range weapons, and delivering fighter jets for Ukrainian pilots.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, also participated in the opening of the exhibition "Ukrainian Color" at the Riigikogu, showcasing traditional Ukrainian national costumes. Together with the Speaker of the Riigikogu of the Republic of Estonia, Lauri Hussar, he jointly toured the exhibition dedicated to the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatar people.

During the meeting with President of Estonia Alar Karis, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, expressed gratitude for Estonia's comprehensive support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in their resistance against the Russian aggressor.

Special attention during the meeting was given to Ukraine's Victory Plan. The Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament presented each point of Ukraine's Victory Plan in detail to the President of Estonia.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the President of Estonia also discussed the security situation and Ukraine's urgent defense needs. A separate topic of the meeting was the efforts being made to return children illegally deported to Russia, as well as the situation in the energy sector.

Ruslan Stefanchuk acknowledged Estonia's efforts and expressed gratitude for the fact that the Estonian side is preparing to send equipment in the near future to help restore Ukraine's energy infrastructure. "The survival of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians depends on this decision," Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasized.

The Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, met with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia, Kristen Michal, and expressed his gratitude for Estonia's comprehensive support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine also thanked Estonia for its decision to allocate its annual defense assistance amounting to 0.25% of its GDP over the next four years, and for the new government's commitment to uphold this promise.

During the conversation, the focus was primarily on the Victory Plan, which was presented by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on October 16. They discussed the importance of each of the five key points of the Plan.

In the context of strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, they discussed Estonia's participation in the IT coalition and the implementation of the Estonian initiative for the procurement of artillery ammunition. All these steps are aimed at enhancing Ukraine's defensive capabilities.

In addition, the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament discussed the continuation of cooperation with Estonia in the fields of digital technologies and cybersecurity. They also focused on the situation in Ukraine's energy sector and the country's reconstruction efforts.

Ruslan Stefanchuk thanked Estonia for initiating the restoration of one of Ukraine's regions and for the successful implementation of projects in the Zhytomyr region.