A Russian defeat in its full-scale war on Ukraine will help prevent World War III, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in Brussels on March 20.
Estonia has been one of the leading military donors to Ukraine in terms of share of GDP since the beginning of the all-out war in 2022. Kallas and other Estonian politicians have also been particularly outspoken about the threat that Russia poses to Europe.
"(If) Russia (were to) lose this war, then we don't have to worry about the Third World War," Kallas said, adding that she does not seek active conflict with Russia.
"We want to have peace, but we want to have sustainable peace, and peace on Russia's terms is not sustainable."
Echoing warnings from leaders in Ukraine and in the EU, Kallas said that "if Ukraine falls, (war is) going to be all over Europe."
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur announced the country's latest package of military assistance, worth 20 million euros ($22 million), during a visit to Kyiv on March 21.
While Kallas said she has been willing to make tough political decisions to maintain Estonia's support for Ukraine, such as raising taxes, others in Europe have not followed suit.
"In some countries, I don't see the deed, I only hear the words," she said, adding that she had expected an increase in defense spending following the beginning of Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine.
"The problem is that we are in crisis now. We need to invest in defense now," Kallas said.
When asked about the ongoing debate swirling around French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion in February that the notion of sending Western troops to Ukraine should not be "ruled out," Kallas said she supported Macron's usage of "strategic ambiguity."
"We have been guessing for so long what Russia is going to do next. I think it could be a good strategy that they will guess what we will do next."
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