The Estonian head of state remarked that although Russia might be losing the war, underestimating the acute threat emanating from the country would be a mistake. “Nor must we forget the increasing threat of terrorism in regions that are of key importance to NATO,” he remarked.
President Karis says the alliance is faced with the task of taking the direction agreed upon at the NATO Summit in Madrid and making it tangible so that transatlantic security is guaranteed at this critical point in history. “The integrity and freedom of the entire region depends on it,” he said. “It is an existential issue for Estonia.”
The head of state cautioned that the war in Ukraine is far from over. “As a result, we must continue to provide the country with military support, because a frozen or unending conflict in Ukraine would be like a festering wound in Europe’s heart and leave us in confrontation with Russia for years to come,” he said. “We have to do everything we can to help the Ukrainians regain control of their territory as quickly as possible, for their benefit as well as ours.”
In his address, the Estonian head of state also spoke about the potential consequences of Russia losing the war. “It is feared that the Russian hierarchy could collapse following military defeat in Ukraine, which is to say the whole of Russia,” he said. “My advice is to avoid a Russia policy based on fear of instability. We have seen this before. Both Gorbachev and Yeltsin played on fears that if they were to lose power, undesirable figures would rise up to take their place. In the end, unfortunately, that is what happened regardless. Let us not fall into that trap once again.”
“It is not up to us to spare the blushes of Putin and the other people in charge of Russia,” President Karis added. “They and they alone are responsible for the crimes that have been committed, for the mistakes made in attacking Ukraine and for the broader consequences for Russia, and that is how they should be treated.”
