Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that putin uses two traps to divide the West: offering false hope and spreading fear.
“Over the years, putin has repeatedly encouraged the West to hope that his aggression would come to an end. This was believed after russia’s invasion of Georgia, after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and again following the Minsk agreements. Unfortunately, that hope has always proved misplaced,” Tsahkna said while delivering his keynote address at the Kiel Security Conference. “The second trap is fear. russia seeks to intimidate the West with threats of escalation. We must not fall into either of these traps.”
“In some circles, there is hope that because russia is currently in a weaker position, it may be possible to engage it through dialogue. In reality, Europe must maintain strategic patience, increase pressure on russia, and stand firmly alongside Ukraine. Europe must not allow itself to be drawn into the role of a neutral mediator – that would be yet another russian trap,” Tsahkna said.
“This week, the world’s attention was focused on a burning moscow, which is yet another demonstration of Ukraine’s growing military capabilities and its ability to strike targets deep inside russian territory,” Tsahkna said during the panel discussion. “Ukraine’s military strength is something Europe also needs for its own security. That is why we must increasingly see Ukraine not as a consumer of security, but as a provider of security.”
