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Foreign Minister Tsahkna in annual foreign policy speech: What we should fear is the success of the aggression, not the aggressor's defeat

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

11.02.2025

Today 11 February, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna presented a report on foreign policy at the Parliament of Estonia (Riigikogu), outlining the main lines of action and objectives in Estonia's foreign policy.

The foreign minister noted that the rules-based world order was under increasing pressure, autocracies were gathering strength and converging, and attempts were being made to drive wedges into democratic societies and between democracies, to amplify existing contradictions and to undermine values.

"In light of this, the democratic world must ask itself - will we allow the threats to grow until it is too late, as was done in the 1930s, or will we resolutely take a stand to defend our values," Tsahkna said.

"It was only recently that many European leaders said they should have listened to the Baltic States when we warned about the growing threat of aggression in the east. Today we say: listen to us now as well. Our freedom is at stake; keeping it requires victory in Ukraine, containing the aggressive Russia for a long time, strengthening our alliances and a more confident Europe," the foreign minister said.

Tsahkna noted that Putin had not changed his goals and still wanted to subjugate all of Ukraine and fundamentally restructure European security. He emphasised that no one wanted peace more than the Ukrainians; however, peace must be just and lasting.

"A just peace is based on international law, including the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty. A just peace also means that crimes are punished and damages are compensated," Tsahkna said, adding that to maintain peace, the security, economic sustainability and political stability of Ukraine must be ensured, and there was no better guarantee of security in Europe than NATO and European Union membership.

"It is naïve to hope that peace can be achieved just by talking about it, or worse, by feeding the aggressor with the freedom of other nations. Peace can only come through strength. To this end, we must ensure a position of strength for Ukraine and prove that the West is not deviating from its course," the minister said.

In his speech, Tsahkna reiterated Estonia's current and continued leadership in helping Ukraine and raising the cost of the aggression. To stop Russia's aggression, we need to end energy imports from Russia, impose tariffs on goods that cannot be sanctioned, deter Russia's shadow fleet, and give a new impetus to the mobilisation of the frozen assets of the aggressor state.

"There has been too much caution and timidity in raising the price of aggression for Russia. It is not the aggressor's defeat we should fear - instead, we should fear the success of the aggression. Dangerous times call for more decisive action," Tsahkna said.

The foreign minister said it was important to remember that Russia remained a serious and long-term security threat, which is why both NATO and the European Union needed to shape their policies for containing Russia accordingly, and sanctions and the international isolation of Russia must continue until Russia has stopped its aggression and compensated for the damage caused.

Speaking about transatlantic relations, Tsahkna said that in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century successfully, both Europe and North America need to maintain their close alliance.

The foreign minister said that the cooperation of the Nordic and Baltic States has become particularly strong recently, and Estonia considered it important to use all formats that connect other Allies to our region, including the UK-led JEF and the Council of the Baltic Sea States.

The foreign minister's speech also touched upon the Middle East, stating that the recent truce between Israel and Hamas, the considerable weakening of Iran and the terrorist organisations it supports, as well as the prospect of a new beginning in Syria and the inauguration of Lebanon's new authorities offered hope for a better tomorrow, but efforts must be made by the countries of the region themselves and the international community as a whole to achieve this.

"Estonia has been consistent on the issues of the Middle East, supporting the alleviation of human suffering and the two-state solution based on international law," Tsahkna said.

The minister also underlined that Europe needed a more confident China policy. "Now that China has become a decisive enabler of Russian aggression, it is clear to Estonia that the European Union's policy towards China needs to be reconsidered, placing more emphasis on China as a rival and competitor," the minister said.

Speaking about European Union enlargement, Tsahkna highlighted the progress of Armenia, Ukraine and Moldova, calling enlargement one of the most powerful tools the EU has at its disposal because it has benefited both the acceding countries and Europe as a whole. Regrettably, the authorities of Georgia have shown that the enlargement of the European Union can also be reversed.

"The security and prosperity of Estonia require an active foreign policy whose footprint can no longer be limited to our immediate region or even to the whole of Europe," the minister noted. He highlighted the immeasurable role of Estonia's 45 embassies and nearly 200 honorary consuls in advancing Estonia's security and economic interests, and helping citizens who need assistance abroad.

"The foreign service, which spends only about 0.3% of GDP, gives considerably more back to the society in terms of both security and economic growth," Tsahkna said. "Any cuts to foreign policy are out of the question at the moment and we need to be even more active instead."

In conclusion, the foreign minister said Estonia has been proven right when warning about threats and calling for resolve, and it has been united in making our case abroad. "We must keep this unity and integrity if we want to emerge from these difficult times unscathed and stronger as a country and a nation," Tsahkna said.