Ukraine is the bravest nation in the world, Estonian MP says

Marina Smahina

Senior Editor of "Rubryka", writer

Today, Estonia is one of Ukraine's biggest supporters in Europe. The Estonian Parliament was the first to call on UN member states to close the sky over Ukraine. The Estonian government was one of the first to support Ukraine in granting EU candidate status. From the first days of the war, the Estonian society united as never before. E.g., on February 26, the largest rally in 30 years took place on Freedom Square in the Estonian capital. More than 30,000 people came out in support of Ukraine. It is around 2% of the entire population of Estonia.

Urmas Reinsalu, a member of the Estonian Parliament, has visited Ukraine twice since February 24. His latest visit, during which he participated in official meetings and speeches at Verkhovna Rada, ended only on March 27. 

At Verkhovna Rada, speakers from Baltic countries co-signed a communique to appeal for a full-scale trade embargo against Russia and the establishment of a no-flight zone over Ukraine immediately.

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During the visit, the parliamentarians also visited the Zhytomyr region:

"We also had a possibility to make a personal solidarity visit to the Zhytomyr region. I had many opportunities to meet the Ukrainian people. … The situation [in Ukraine] is very dramatic and very heroic.

I believe the Ukrainian people are the bravest nation in the world,

not only the soldiers but also the local communities and people who help deliver public services. In Ovruch, I saw a bakery factory continuously making bread for the region under the air-raid sirens.

There are many cases of heroism I saw in Ukraine. That gave me a complete understanding that Ukrainian people will never give up," Urmas Reinsalu told Rubryka.

The parliamentarian also called the war Russia unleashed against Ukraine "the war of Russia against the free world":

"The battles in Ukraine are battles where Ukrainians are fighting for the freedom of our civilization. The Ukrainian war is the Estonian war, and all the European countries' war. And European leaders need to understand it fully. There is still a certain cautiousness in establishing a total trade embargo against Russia.

I think it would be most efficient if the EU and US and like-minded countries such as the UK passed the package of a total trade embargo.

Something that the US has efficiently created over Cuba."

"There is also something that needs to be done from Baltic and Polish side; we still have land cargo with trucks passing our borders and bringing goods from Russia and to Russia," the politician added.

To convince European leaders to support Ukraine more actively, Urmas Reinsalu suggests talking directly to the people and their representatives:

"I think it is essential to appeal directly to the people of the Western countries who emotionally share the thought that more needs to be done. Also, I think President Zelenskyy's strategy of appealing to the parliaments who represent these societies and demanding stronger measures from them and their governments is rational.

There is also a need to make more visits of Western representatives to Ukraine. I think it is important to the Ukrainian people, but also, being on the ground gives a clearer understanding of how badly the aid is needed and that time is critical.

I wholly reject the concept the European leaders declared last week that we would not establish additional sanctions, but we will look at how the existing ones are working."

To the recent sentiments spreading slowly in the Western world over sanctions harming regular Russians who are allegedly not to blame for Mr. Putin's crimes, the Estonian politician has a strong response: "This is nonsense because the party in the war is the Russian Federation." Moreover, according to the parliamentarian, the sanctions must become even stricter:

"This year, Russia's GDP fall will be about 8,5 percent. This figure shows that the sanctions are not as full a measure they could have been because 8 percent is not much. Countries' economies fell to such a level during the coronavirus."

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As to the assistance Estonia provides to Ukraine, it is indeed one of the biggest globally:

"In absolute figures, Estonia has given a lot more weapons than, for example, Germany. It is a paradox. In Estonia, it gives us a moral position to demand bigger Western countries provide more substantial help.

In Estonia, the emotional feeling of the society is very supportive of Ukraine. Estonians tended to be very conservative on immigration issues. But now, people support and help Ukrainian war refugees; they help people find work, find schools for their children. People also have provided more than 200,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

The military assistance is approximately ⅓ of the level of our annual defense budget. It is the most significant relative number globally." 

At the same time, the parliamentarian stresses that the world should send Russia a clear message:

"The US spent on the Afghan war around 2 trillion dollars during two decades. Several billion to give now is not enough if we look at the US military budget, which is around a trillion.

It is also a powerful deterrent to Russia if Western countries deliver a clear signal that we will provide as much help and weaponry as Ukraine needs, and there will be no limits. Strategic attack weaponry is also needed. The West should not be afraid of Putin's possible nuclear escalation. If we take the position of fear, it means that morally we will be losing this war."

Also, Russia might move further West:

"We are very cautious about it. We are asking NATO ally forces to Estonian soil and all the Eastern flank soil of NATO countries. We are also rapidly increasing our defense costs, buying arms, etc.

Of course, we are not taking these steps without understanding that there is an imminent threat of possible attacks by Russia on other Western countries."

Photo: Facebook/Urmas Reinsalu