*Support for NATO has reached its highest level among Estonian citizens and the number of ethnic Estonians supporting the alliance is particularly high. The Polling Centre Faktum’s March 2005 survey showed that 74 % of all respondents supported joining NATO, compared to 72 % in October 2004 and 74 % in June 2004.
To the question, how has Estonia’s security situation changed after accession to NATO on 29 March 2004, 46 % of respondents answered that the security situation has improved. 41 % considered the situation unchanged and 3 % believed the situation had worsened.
64 % of all respondents saw NATO membership as one of the most important Estonian security guarantees, this was followed by EU membership 51 and 38 % of respondents found good relations with Russia to be one of the most important.
The majority of the Estonian population continued to support maintaining or increasing national defence expenditures :
- 32 % thought defence spending should be raised,
- 45 % would maintain it at the current level and
- 13 % would like to see defence funding cut back.
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