“The reason behind Russia’s full-scale aggression lies in Putin’s inability to come to terms with the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as the West’s earlier desire to negotiate with him and to turn a blind eye to his actions,” said Foreign Minister Tsahkna.
“In our region, we understood the true nature of Russia early on and warned of the threats coming from it. But most of the Western world chose to ignore these warnings — even after Putin, in his 2007 speech at the Munich Security Conference, openly presented his worldview and goals in a speech filled with anti-Western sentiment and longing for the Soviet Union’s lost glory,” Tsahkna said.
“Neither the war in Georgia in 2008 nor the annexation of Crimea in 2014 received a strong enough response. Instead, we saw repeated attempts to press the 'reset' button, to seek dialogue with Russia, and to turn a blind eye to Moscow’s brutal actions.”
According to the Foreign Minister, under Merkel’s leadership, Germany also misjudged the true cost of doing business with Russia. By cheerfully opening the Nord Stream pipeline, Merkel helped deepen Germany’s energy dependence on Russia — despite clear warnings from the Baltic states and others about the risks.
Another major mistake, he said, was the decision at NATO’s 2008 Bucharest Summit — largely due to Merkel’s opposition — not to grant Ukraine and Georgia a Membership Action Plan.
“All these mistakes made over the years encouraged and emboldened Russia to make the decision to launch its full-scale invasion in early 2022,” Tsahkna said.
“These events force us to repeat a simple truth: Russia only understands the language of strength. We must stay firmly on the course of internationally isolating Russia and applying economic pressure. At the same time, Ukraine must continue to receive strong military, political, and economic support,” the Foreign Minister added.
Tsahkna noted that Estonia is working to ensure the European Union soon adopts a very strong 19th sanctions package. Discussions are also ongoing on using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s benefit. Ukraine continues to receive support through various existing and new initiatives, such as the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL).
“Europe is on the right track — including Germany, which under Chancellor Friedrich Merz has taken decisive steps to support Ukraine and strengthen its own defense capabilities. In contrast to Merkel’s statements, it is worth recalling what Merz said earlier this year: "For far too long, we in Germany didn’t want to hear our Baltic neighbours’ warnings about Russia’s imperialist policies. We have recognised this mistake – and there is no going back from this realisation."
