An Estonian politician has undertaken a 1,700-kilometre cycle ride from Tallinn to Kiev to raise money for the Ukrainian war effort.
Kristo Enn Vaga, a member of the Estonian parliament from the ruling Reform Party, began his week-long trip on April 26, arriving in Kiev on Thursday after passing through Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
"The journey was both physically and mentally exhausting due to the strong headwinds," he said. "But what the Ukrainian army is doing for Estonia and the whole of Europe is in no way comparable to this bike ride," he added.
Vaga said in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that he wanted to use the trip to remind the Estonian public that the war is closer than they might assume. He also posted pictures of his cycle along the way.
The 27-year-old, a member of the Estonian parliament since 2023, is a former professional cyclist. He represented the Estonian national team in several international competitions and rode for an amateur racing team in France for two years.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than two years and is largely dependent on Western support for military equipment. Estonia, a fellow former Soviet republic that borders Russia, is one of Kiev's staunchest allies.