Kaimo Kuusk assumed the position of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Estonia in September 2024. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence is responsible for leading the work of the ministry and coordinating the activities of Estonian Defence Forces, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Centre for Defence Investment, the Defence Resources Agency, Estonian War Museum as well as the Defence League. Before being appointed as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Kaimo Kuusk served as Estonia's ambassador to Lithuania. Prior to that he was the Estonian ambassador to Ukraine, where he coordinated the delivery of Estonia's military aid following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. From 1998 to 2019, Kuusk held various positions in the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, with the last nine years as Deputy Director General. In 2019, he began working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Bureau. Kaimo Kuusk graduated from the University of Tartu with a degree in political science and furthered his education in the Civil Servants’ Course at the Baltic Defence College and the University of Oslo. In addition to Estonian, he is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian. He has been awarded the Order of the White Star, 5th Class, and the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 3rd Class.