Honoured to be awarded Transatlantic Leadership Award by @CEPA. #MeetTheMoment
Transatlantic alliance for us in Estonia is the real-world expression of freedom.
We're defending the very same idea of freedom, including territorial integrity and sovereignty, in #Ukraine now. 1/5
@cepa The transatlantic community is more united in purpose and action than for some time. But Russia will keep testing us.
The way to end it is to keep offering Ukraine quick military aid. Ukrainians are proving: this war is winnable. Extraordinary support by U.S. has been key. 2/5
@cepa While we are very focused on the conventional war, we mustn't forget Russia is also waging a hybrid war and information war.
We must pay attention to the stability of our societies. Russia’s long-term interest is to divide us – not only us as allies, but also our societies. 3/5
@cepa Our long-term commitment to #Ukraine is necessary to stop a possible genocide and a matter of the rules-based international order.
Other dictators and would-be ones are studying this. The key question: do they get encouraged or deterred by our action or inaction. 4/5
@cepa For the wider transatlantic community, it is both a moral obligation and a matter of security to continue supporting Ukraine, increase Russia's international isolation, and bring perpetrators of war crimes and atrocities to justice. 5/5
🧵 My remarks at #NATO Military Committee Conference in Tallinn:
#Russia’s war on European soil is the most serious security situation of our generation.
NATO has made a significant shift in mindset and its defence. Many Allies are also giving #Ukraine crucial military aid. 1/7
The #Kremlin has one big aim: terrorise and fulfill the imperialist dream.
They threaten the world with famine and a nuclear disaster. They are waging an energy war.
The Kremlin wants negotiations because then they can get something they didn’t have to begin with. 2/7
That is why we cannot give in one inch.
If we do not counter Russian aggression and expansionism decisively and bring those behind it to justice, the whole international rules-based order would be under threat.
That means no country and no nation could feel safe. 3/7
Honoured to receive International Prize from the Hayek Foundation together with my Latvian and Lithuanian colleagues for defending European democratic values.
Said in my speech that defending European democratic values is as topical today as back when we built up Estonia. 1/8
Today we defend these values in Ukraine. Ukraine is under Russia’s attack because it's a democracy, because it built open market economy, wanted to become part of the rule of law family of the EU. 2/8
While Soviet Union collapsed, its expansionist ideology never did. Ukraine is not the victim of a one-time miscalculation by a madman. We are witnessing a long-planned campaign by Kremlin to exert control over neighbouring countries by brute force, no matter the human cost. 3/8
Here at #NATOSummit, we as Allies agree that Russia is the most significant and direct threat to NATO.
As a result, the Allies decided a fundamental shift in NATO’s force posture resulting in further strengthening of NATO's eastern flank. 1/5
We have agreed on NATO’s modern forward defence that would deny our adversary any opportunity for aggression.
Work must immediately start to translate this collective political will into reality. 2/5
This means:
- units assigned and deployed
- equipment prepositioned
- enablers in place
- command and control structures established
- defence plans upgraded. 3/5
1/ My essay in @Telegraph today. the free world has made many right decisions in support of #Ukraine. But we need to speed up.
What Ukraine needs most are arms to fight back aggressor and liberate their country. telegraph.co.uk/world-news/202…
2 / The Kremlin has made it clear that their aim is to wipe Ukraine off the map. “Denazification" is the label of this policy of destruction.
A “Nazi” is simply any Ukrainian who resists. This rhetoric is used to make Ukrainians a seemingly legitimate target for destruction.
3/ No impunity for war crimes must form a cornerstone of our policies. Perpetrators must know that judgement day will come.
The aggressor must pay. A special fund for victims could be one way, using Russian assets and central bank reserves frozen by sanctions.
🧵 My speech at @Policy_Exchange in London following the honour of receiving the Grotius Prize:
The free world has made many right decisions in support of Ukraine. But we need to speed it up.
If aggression pays off somewhere, it invites it elsewhere. 1/7
We're witnessing Russia's state-orchestrated calls for genocide. The aim: dehumanise Ukrainians and wipe Ukraine off the world map. A “Nazi” is simply any Ukrainian who resists.
Putin and all those who have committed atrocities must know that their judgment day will come. 2/7
To hold perpetrators accountable, Ukraine must win back its territories and Russia must fail.
We must do all we can to help push back the Russian invasion and end massive war crimes on our doorstep.
Otherwise, worse will follow. This is what Estonian history teaches us. 3/7