Estonia’s prime minister calls on US and NATO allies to be tougher on Russia

European leaders are ramping up their country’s defense spending and industrial capacity as doubts remain about continued U.S. aid to Ukraine. Leading the charge is 46-year-old Estonia’s first female prime minister, Kaja Kalas. Her Mr. Karas is known for being tough on Russia. Some critics joke that she even has it for breakfast. Earlier this year, Russia’s interior minister issued a warrant for her arrest for removing a Soviet monument, but Karas did not withdraw the warrant.

Asked to respond to critics who say he is being too harsh on President Putin, Karas said: “Given what President Putin has done, can you be tough enough on President Putin?” . Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Karas has become one of Putin’s most vocal critics.

Karas is considered to be the next NATO secretary-general, but some opponents argue she is too hawkish to lead the organization. In response, Karas said she doesn’t think Putin should have a say in how NATO runs the alliance.

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“Russia is the biggest threat to NATO’s security…If we say our attitude towards Russia is preventing us from reaching the top position, then how do we actually run the alliance? “It gives President Putin too much power to decide,” Karas said. .

Estonia is on the front lines of NATO and shares a 210-mile border with Russia. Estonia spends 3.2% of its annual GDP on defense, of which 1.35% is spent by Ukraine fighting Russia, which equates to $378 billion annually.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Estonia became independent and eventually joined NATO in 2004. In 2007, Russia launched the largest cyberattack the world had ever seen. The cyber attack targeted Estonia’s parliament, banks and media outlets and lasted for 22 days. Estonia is currently the headquarters of NATO’s cyber defense.

Karas said the 2007 attack was completely different from the attacks Estonia is currently thwarting every day. “We’ve invested so much in cybersecurity that these attacks are really impenetrable,” Karas said. However, hospital cybersecurity remains a major concern. “There could be civilian casualties, so we have to be prepared,” Karas said.

A Ukrainian soldier fires a cannon near the eastern city of Bakhmut during heavy fighting with Russian troops in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, May 15, 2023. For months, Western allies have been shipping billions of dollars worth of weapons systems and ammunition. It was urgently dispatched to Ukraine to deliver supplies to Kiev in time for the expected spring counteroffensive. Well, summer is only a few weeks away. Russia and Ukraine are focused on a fierce battle for Bakhmut, but Ukraine’s spring offensive has not yet begun. (AP Photo/Rivkos)

These cyberattacks are part of what Karas calls the “shadow war.” “While there is a conventional war going on in Ukraine, there is also a shadow war going on within our society… What they are really good at is adding fuel to the fires that are already present in our society. We have to realize,” said Karas.

Karas isn’t just concerned about direct conflict with Russia. She wants to prevent further shadow wars.This is why Karras warned against negotiating with Russia to end her war In Ukraine, as former President Trump has indicated he would do if elected.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a concert commemorating his presidential election victory and the 10th anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea on Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Monday, March 18, 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin captured Crimea from Ukraine for the first time in 10 years. Previously, this act skyrocketed his popularity but was widely condemned as illegal.

“Of course, war is bad and peace is good. But there is also a difference between peace and peace,” Karas says.

Her mother was only six months old in 1949, during the reign of Joseph Stalin. She and her family were sent to a Soviet POW camp in Siberia. These labor camps located throughout Russia were known as forced labor camps. They remained there for 10 years before being released.

“Just because the war ends doesn’t mean peace will come,” Karas said.

“Peace on Russian terms does not mean the end of human suffering. In my country, a fifth of the population was expelled or killed. Our language, my Our culture was suppressed. All these things happened while we were at peace. Therefore, the Russian condition “under peace” does not mean that human suffering will end. ”

Russian soldiers stand on a moving military vehicle during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, May 7, 2022. The parade will be held on May 9th in Moscow’s Red Square to celebrate the 77th anniversary of Victory. During World War II. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlyanichenko) (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlyanichenko)

Karas warned that a Putin victory in Ukraine would spark other conflicts around the world. “History rhymes, and we have to learn from history,” Karas said, referring to the 1930s and leading up to World War II.

“If aggression is rewarded somewhere, it’s an invitation to exploit it elsewhere. We know the tensions in the South China Sea, Iran, North Korea. So for the aggressor and his will, There will be more conflicts around the world.”Aggressors around the world are taking careful notes. ”

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Asked about skeptics who say Ukraine cannot win the war, Karas said Russia’s goal is to make the West think Ukraine cannot win. “You never win a war unless your goal is victory,” Karas said, noting that now is not the time to negotiate.

Karas called on the United States to continue its aid to Ukraine and for Congress to pass more funding. “If the United States doesn’t support Ukraine, Russia will win. And Russia’s friends, China, Iran, and North Korea, are actually the leaders of the world. And we don’t want that world. .”