I am so glad you accepted my invitation and have joined us Estonians today to celebrate the 105th Independence Day of Estonia. This means a lot to me and this also means a lot to the Estonian people.
Let me start by sharing a thought by Thucydides: “The secret to happiness is freedom and the secret to freedom is courage”. Estonia had the courage to fight for our freedom. The same applies to our Ukrainian friends – their fight for freedom today is a reminder that freedom is not a given and needs constant care.
Freedom also needs friends and partners. 31 years ago, when Estonia restored its independence after the Soviet occupation, we set as our foreign and defence policy motto: “We Are Never Alone Again”.
Jens, Ursula, your presence here today is its embodiment – Estonia is a proud member of the EU and NATO. NATO and the European Union are the cornerstones of not only our freedom and security, but that of the whole of Europe.
Grey areas, however, create instability and lead to war – they must become a thing of the past. That is why Ukraine’s place is in the European Union and after the end of the war also in NATO.
For Estonians, the 24th of February has always been about celebrating freedom. We know that freedom comes at a price, you need to fight for it.
Allied presence here in Estonia contributes every day to the security of our country and the Alliance as a whole. But Estonia takes its own part of the burden increasingly seriously. We have been significantly boosting our defence spending –it’s nearly 3% now. The will of the Estonian people to defend our country is unwavering. The number of volunteers who wish to contribute to national defence has considerably increased.
Today Ukrainians are showing unprecedented courage and commitment in defending their country. The free world needs to show the same courage and support to Ukraine until the last Russian soldier has left Ukraine. Ukraine must win and the aggressor must be pushed back.
For this, we must also believe in Ukraine’s victory. Ukraine needs enough weapons and ammunition to win the war.
That is why I have proposed that EU Member States jointly procure ammunition for Ukraine. During the pandemic we were able to react quickly to jointly procure vaccines. Let’s act quickly now and send more ammunition to Ukraine.
We must keep in mind that the threat Russia poses is a long term one. In addition to the conventional war, they are also waging a hybrid war to create chaos and divide us. All European countries need to invest much more in their own defence and resilience.
We cannot be afraid of Russia’s terror tactics. If we fall for Russia’s threats, we will wake up in a much more dangerous world. Ukraine and Russia’s other neighbours are not afraid – so why should those countries who are further away?
The way this war against Ukraine ends will define peace for generations to come. For any peace to last, there needs to be accountability. Russian crimes against Ukraine and its people must not go unpunished, and no Russian leader can be immune from responsibility.
As team Europe and team NATO, we have shown significant unity and resolve over the past year. Looking ahead, these are the key words we must take with us: courage, belief, accountability. And leave no room for fear.
Thank you!
