Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal has publicly rejected the idea of softening the tone toward Moscow, stating that "fawning over the Russian dictator" will not bring freedom, only humiliation. His comments came amid Reuters reports that, according to anonymous sources, Pentagon officials had approached the Baltic states asking them to curb their rhetoric regarding Russia. The Estonian leader emphasized that the Baltic states "have always understood that Russia poses a threat" and refused to change course under external pressure.
"Here is where we are now"
In an interview cited by Delfi, Michal described the dual pressure Tallinn is facing: "At home, we hear politicians complaining before elections about our modesty, and in the news, we hear that our allies from the largest country are asking us to hold back — that is where we are now." However, the prime minister clarified that he had not received such a call directly from the US: he last met with US President Donald Trump in Ankara over the summer, and the topic of rhetoric on Russia was not raised during that meeting.
"Putin is a dictator who kills women and children"
Responding to a question about his readiness to soften his wording, Michal stated flatly: "I will not hold back: Putin is a dictator who kills women and children. And he will continue to do so until he is forced to change his course." According to him, NATO has done "very much" in recent years to deter Russia, and Vladimir Putin himself is "less and less successful on the battlefield," while "his own cities and ports are burning," which the prime minister assessed as forcing him "to behave like a terrorist." At the same time, Michal acknowledged that the upcoming winter will be difficult for Ukraine.
Estonia's contribution to NATO defense
The Prime Minister also reminded that Estonia contributes nearly 7% to NATO and maintains a broad national defense, which, according to him, allows the country to protect the alliance's eastern flank and contribute to the security of other nations. These statements come against the backdrop of a broader context in which, as reported earlier, Pentagon representatives over recent weeks, according to Reuters, approached several NATO countries, including the Baltics, with a request to soften their rhetoric regarding the threat from Russia.
Official Tallinn declines to comment on Reuters version
A spokesperson for the Estonian Ministry of Defense, commenting on the Reuters publication, stated that the material is based on anonymous sources and the department does not intend to comment on it. Thus, the very fact of the Pentagon's outreach to the Baltic states has officially been confirmed neither by Washington nor by Tallinn. Separately, in the context of the week, Vladimir Putin's statement was noted that Russia is "ready for war with Europe" but "does not want" a conflict, while, according to him, the Russian Federation "supports any steps" to restore relations with European countries.
