As Russia continues to intensify its onslaught on Ukraine more than three years into the full-scale invasion, Kyiv faces a new challenge – keeping its Western allies, namely the new U.S. administration, engaged in the struggle. This became clear during the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24-25, where
The Kyiv Independent’s Martin Fornusek sits down with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna on the sidelines of the NATO summit to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's commitment to the Alliance, how the Israel-Iran escalation affects NATO's focus on Ukraine, and why Europe must take more responsibility for its own defense.
They argued that Ukraine's NATO accession would “consolidate a just and lasting peace not only in Ukraine but also in all of Europe" and help uphold the rules-based international order globally.
"Russia's continued aggression has a simple explanation: it hasn't faced enough pressure to stop. The power to change that lies with us," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.
The Kyiv Independent’s Asami Terajima sits down with Estonian ambassador to Ukraine Annely Kolk to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and why there’s little trust in Russia honoring any ceasefire agreements.
The detention followed recent moves by Estonia and its neighbors to clamp down on Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," which is used to bypass Western oil sanctions.
"Today's incident shows that Russia continues to behave unpredictably," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. Estonia will redirect port traffic through its own territorial waters.
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in neutral Switzerland, but politics are center stage. While debate continues over Israel’s participation amid the war in Gaza, Russia — banned from the contest since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — continues to cast a shadow over the event. This year,
"The Russian Federation is ready to protect the 'shadow fleet'... the situation is really serious," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on May 15.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to send junior aides for peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul is like a "slap in the face," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on May 15.
In a conversation following Pope Francis's funeral, Trump promised to "do everything" to maintain peace negotiations, Estonian President Alar Karis said.
The vessel's captain is a Chinese citizen, and the rest of the crew are nationals of Myanmar.
"Take the Feb. 24 (when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine). Feb. 23 is the day of Russian Army. For the Kremlin, always, dates are very important," Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur told journalists in Brussels.
The legislation aims to prevent foreign influence in Estonia’s religious sphere if it threatens national security, constitutional order, or public order, or if it promotes military aggression or incites war, according to the parliament’s press service.
"The opportunities offered by Ukraine to international partners include testing products in real combat conditions and developing long-term partnerships within joint ventures," Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Valerii Churkin said.
The application was submitted earlier this year but did not receive approval, Lithuanian officials said.
Stripping Hungary of its voting power in the EU "is getting closer and closer," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on April 5.
As the U.S. chooses an increasingly hostile posture toward Europe, the U.K. and France have been gearing up to lead the continent's defense without Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron has coined the term "strategic autonomy," which envisions a self-sufficient Europe that can defend itself and export its agenda
"We all understand that when the war in Ukraine will be stopped, Russia will redistribute its forces very quickly. That means also the threat level will increase significantly very quickly," said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.
"The decisions in our local life won't be made by the citizens of the aggressor states, but we'll decide by ourselves," Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said after the March 26 vote.
The defense ministers of the four nations argued that the security situation in the region has "fundamentally deteriorated" and that military threats to NATO member states bordering Russia and Belarus have "significantly increased."
Europe has been left scrambling to find ways to boost defense spending and continue the flow of support to Ukraine after U.S. President Donald Trump made clear the continent won't be able to rely on Washington for its long-term security needs. The latest reports suggest that EU officials are
"Consider here in America that after 9/11 you would have sat down with Osama bin Laden and said, 'OK, what else do you want?' I mean, it's unimaginable," Kallas said.
The EU "should boost independence even further and end all Russian energy imports," Karis said on Feb. 9. "We should even seriously consider a full trade embargo on Russia."
Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia will disconnect from Russia’s power grid this weekend and synchronize with the Western European network.
Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys reportedly described the shift as part of a "new era. " Vilnius committed to spending between 5% and 6% of its GDP on defense annually until at least 2030. Estonia followed suit, pledging to raise defense spending from 3.7% of GDP to 5%.
The meeting, co-organized by Finland and Estonia, will focus on enhancing NATO's presence in the Baltic Sea and responding to risks posed by Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, a group of tankers allegedly used for sanction evasion and espionage.
A fleet of up to 10 NATO vessels will guard the infrastructure under the Baltic Sea until April, the Finnish broadcaster YLE reported on Jan. 7 after several cables were cut in suspected sabotage.
As Ukraine and Europe enter 2025 with a worsening situation on the battlefield and the incoming Trump administration hoping to quickly reach some kind of peace in Russia’s all-out war, the first months of the year look to be fundamental in deciding the outcome of the war. While much
The Helsinki District Court has ruled to keep the oil tanker — suspected of belonging to Russia's "shadow fleet" — under seizure, despite an appeal from the ship's owner.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Dec. 27 that "NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea" following the recent damage to the Estlink 2 power cable in the Gulf of Finland likely caused by Russia.
The Estlink 2, an undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia, was seriously damaged on Christmas Day. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible act of sabotage.
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