Europe must act with “greater urgency” as it forms a coalition to defend Ukraine from further Russian aggression, Estonia’s foreign minister has said.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Margus Tsahkna said Tallinn was ready to play an “active role” in the so-called coalition of the willing, a UK-led initiative to give Ukraine security guarantees after a ceasefire.

But he suggested that the Estonian government was frustrated with the pace of the talks on forming the coalition, which could station around 10,000 peacekeeping troops in Ukraine after the war has ended.

“Our shared goal is a lasting and just peace, but to achieve this, Europe must act with greater urgency and resolve than it has thus far. The primary obstacle to peace is Putin and his ongoing aggression,” Mr Tsahkna said, when asked what role Estonia would play in the coalition of the willing.

He added: “Our pressure must be directed at the aggressor, while our support must go to the victim. Only when Putin understands that time is not on his side will credible negotiations be possible.”

Estonia, a Baltic member of Nato and the EU with a population of 1.3 million, shares a 180-mile border with Russia and has been one of Ukraine’s most vocal supporters since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

The country already spends 3.5 per cent of its annual GDP on defence and has announced plans to increase that figure to 5 per cent, while strongly encouraging European allies to follow suit.

Mr Tsahkna stressed that Estonia “commends the leadership of the UK and France in advancing the discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine,” and said his country was “ready to play an active role in these discussions”.