Estonian PM: NATO threatens Russia’s imperialism, not its security

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Russia's narrative that NATO had a role to play in its invasion of Ukraine sees a great deal of play in Asia and must be refuted.

The head of the Estonian government said this in an interview with ERR after speaking at the Dialogue Shangri-La security forum in Singapore.

The most important references of my speech were about refuting the narrative related to NATO. I use my country as an example. When we were freed from the occupation, we did everything we could to make sure it never happened again. It means we must never be alone, she said.

Estonia's accession to NATO was a free choice of the people, not something imposed on the country by any external forces, she emphasized.

I have pointed out in my speeches that Russia behaves as the last colonial power trying to colonize and expand its empire. This is something that sometimes still resonates here, it is understood here, she added.

Kallas told ERR that she refutes the wrong perception about NATO.  She emphasized that NATO is a defense alliance and contrary to Russia's imperialist narrative, NATO expansion does not threaten Russia's security.

NATO threatens Russia's imperialism, not its security, the prime minister added.

The third important topic is a response to this war and how it sends a message to the security of the whole world

If using aggression as a tool pays off because you get more territory or more assets as a result, then other countries that have more power will also use that tool. In this case, we find ourselves not in a world order based on international law, but in a world order based on who is stronger, she said.

The politician stressed he need to establish connections and cooperation with those who can be trusted. In her opinion, it is very important to intensify cooperation between the European Union and the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in order to reduce dependence on unreliable partners through joint efforts.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, a large-scale security forum, is being held in Singapore on June 2-4, where the war waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine is one of the main topics.