The Prime Minister said that much of the free world is now inevitably focussed rightly on assisting Ukraine on the battlefield. “The aggressor must be defeated on the battlefield, but Russia is also waging a war against our democracies – an energy war, an information war and a cyberwar,” Kallas noted. “We in Estonia, at the front line of democracy, have long been aware of Russia’s hybrid tactics. They try to influence political and social choices and undermine trust within free societies. And not only within, but also trust between countries – one of Russia’s long-term goals is also to undermine unity between Allies,” she added.
Prime Minister Kallas said that our primary focus should be on making sure that aggression ends in defeat. “Any ‘negotiated pause’ would serve the Kremlin’s interests so it can use the time to rebuild and prepare its forces for future aggression,” she noted. The Prime Minister stressed that our international approach to Russia must remain firm and long-term. “We should not believe in the goodwill of an outright aggressor and cold-blooded war criminal. There should be no interpreting of Russia through a democratic lens. Russia is a pariah state that needs to be isolated. There’s no room for flirtation with the idea of resuming to business as usual with Russia. Our joint pressure against Russia must increase, not decrease,” Kallas noted.
The Prime Minister explained that the faster Putin understands that he has made a mistake, that he will not reach his objectives and that he won’t be able to break the Ukrainians, the sooner this war ends. “Recalling the words of President Zelensky, for victory, freedom must be armed better than tyranny,” she said. “This means that the number one focus should be arms, ammunition and training – all of which must continue at a scale sufficient for Ukraine to win the war.”
However, Prime Minister Kallas cautioned that it is not only the battlefield success that will decide the outcome of the war. “We have to show Russia that it cannot outlast Ukraine and the free world economically,” she explained. “So, Ukraine’s win also depends on our ability to dry up the Kremlin’s income to finance its aggression.”
The Prime Minister added that for peace to last in Europe, accountability is needed, without which Russia’s cycle of violence will never stop. “This is not only Putin’s war. The Russian people also have responsibility – as long as territorial expansion is considered a virtue in Russia and human lives lost are its acceptable side-effects, Russia’s aggression will sooner or later return and there will be no lasting peace in Europe.”
Prime Minister Kallas added that until Russian society is prepared to take responsibility for its crimes, everyone should prepare for the worst. “Stopping an aggressor has its cost living next to a pariah stat has a cost. Hence, we need to strengthen our own defences and security. Peace and stability in Europe are secured geopolitically by the European Union and NATO that are able to defend Europe militarily. We also need to bring an end to grey zones in Europe. That means Ukraine must become a member of both NATO and the EU.”
