Margus Tsahkna
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia
Estonia
The people of Ukraine are right now bearing the brunt of Russia’s horrific violence in the large-scale aggression that has lasted for two years.
However, Russia’s wider war is against all of us who wish to live freely in a rules-based world of sovereign states. This war did not start in Ukraine and, if the world makes the same mistakes it has previously made in its dealings with Russia, then it will not end in Ukraine either.
The war is already not confined to Ukraine. Russia has been waging a global hybrid war, weaponizing everything from energy to human trafficking while seeking out any opportunity to polarise, corrupt, and undermine free societies. This war is in every domain, including online where every country has a border vulnerable to Russia.
Russia’s war in Ukraine and its impact on us all is a challenge we cannot opt out of facing. Countries in the region, in Europe and all over the world are realising more and more clearly that the end of this war will determine the future security architecture of Europe and the world we continue to live in. Contrary to what we hoped in the early 1990s, Russia will not return to being a peaceful state within our rules-based international system if only we ignore its atrocities and let it keep its latest gains from its aggression.
The only way to end Russia’s aggression is to continue supporting Ukraine with all possible means until the war is won. We have more than enough power to achieve this.
An analysis by Estonia’s Ministry of Defence shows Russia can be defeated if the nations of the free world allocate just 0.25 per cent of their GDP towards military assistance to Ukraine per year. Estonia has already decided to do so for the upcoming years. We will all always pay a bigger price in the future if we delay this.
Across our country right now, I see the incredible energy of people working together through both the state and civic society to support our Ukrainian friends to victory and beyond. Over this winter, we have been working to keep the power on with supplies and aid to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Our people have also been donating and delivering everything from warm clothing to frontline saunas.
Just recently, we also established the Tallinn Mechanism as a coalition of allies to help strengthen Ukraine against cyberattacks. Along with our efforts to boost military cyber defence through the IT Coalition, this will ensure Ukraine’s civilian cyber defences are systematically supported by donor countries and their own tech industries both in the short and long term.
In addition, Estonia has already started and continues to reconstruct Ukraine. It is of great importance that the rebuilding takes place as a joint public, private and civic initiative. From the entrepreneurs’ perspective there is a fascinating outlook for establishing long-term connections, and opportunities for innovating designs and granting jobs. We have partnered with the Zhytomyr region where we recently helped re-open the Malyn Bridge and complete a kindergarten. Work is underway to build family homes for large foster families taking in children orphaned by Russia’s attacks.
Helping Ukrainian children is vitally important, as they are among the most vulnerable and are suffering immensely under the horrors of war. Russia’s aggression has left many of them without a family, a home and friends. No child should bear those losses and suffer under such fear. It is our duty in the international community to do everything at our disposal to bring back more than 20 000 deported Ukrainian children as well as to ensure that the criminals who are responsible are brought to justice. I am proud that there are Estonian civil society activists who have played an active role in returning Ukrainian children from Russia – every child reunited with their parents brings immeasurable joy.
At the same time, the international community must ensure that Russia will be held accountable for all the crimes it has committed in the war, including the crime of aggression. Russia’s leadership has to face an international special tribunal.
It was Ukraine’s political vision to live in a democratic, free Europe. That goal is what prompted Russia to invade Ukraine – the fear that Ukraine will be lost forever for the Russian empire. However, Ukraine has chosen its path. It is a path that is firmly anchored in the European Union. The recent decision to start EU accession negotiations with Ukraine is historic and a step towards victory.
The world did not give up on the Baltic States when we were occupied. It never recognised Moscow’s illegal annexation of the Baltic countries. We knew that there were friends in the free world who did not give up supporting us. Fortitude brought us out from the swamp of occupation. Just as we are free today, so too must be all of Ukraine. Making sure that it will happen sooner rather than later is very much in our hands as supporters of Ukraine.