Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur with students during the visit to Dr. Xiaowen Zhang’s political science class. Courtesy of the Quad-City Times.
Students hear from Estonian defense minister
About 30 Augustana College students and faculty joined Dr. Xiaowen Zhang’s political science class in Old Main on Tuesday to hear Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur discuss the importance of foreign relationships and what’s at stake in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Minister Pevkur answered students’ questions, including discussing the November U.S. election and the importance of political dialogue.
Dr. Zhang said the visit was arranged through the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). According to GMF, Minister Pevkur is visiting Illinois and Iowa from April 7-10. The trip is aimed at building connections and identifying shared interests and security priorities between European and U.S. stakeholders who live outside national capitals.
"As Estonia's Defense Minister, Minister Pevkur is at the forefront of addressing some of the most pressing security issues facing Europe today,” said Dr. Zhang “I believe that this is a unique and wonderful opportunity for our students to engage directly with a key figure in European defense and gain insights into the challenges and strategies of an important U.S. ally.”
Immediately following his presentation , Minister Pevkur and his team departed for a visit to LMT Defense in Eldridge, Iowa. The gun manufacturer produces weapons for the Estonian military.
Read the Quad-City Times’ full account of Tuesday’s visit: Estonian defense minister visits Iowa, Illinois as part of tour to promote strong US-Europe relationship