Michael Weiss AT michealdweiss
This thread nicely encapsulates why Estonia has been one of Ukraine’s most stalwart defenders—not to mention a keen and prescient observer of Russia’s shambolic military campaign. When foreign policy is an existential issue, you can seldom afford to screw it up.
This is the PM of Estonia
Kaja Kallas AT kajakallas
Here’s what I focused on in my Berlin Speech on Freedom
When I was 11, my dad took us to see the wall by the Branderburg Gate. He said: “Breathe in deeply – that’s the air of freedom that comes from the other side.”
Born under Soviet occupation, I had never experienced freedom. Now I can stand here and breathe that same air of freedom.
If we do everything to help Ukraine, there will be no 11-year-olds for whom the air of freedom is something they only experience from a distance.
Why is Russia fighting the war in Ukraine? Russia does not want freedom and democracy to prevail. It is a direct threat to dictatorship.
While Ukrainians are defending their freedom, the Kremlin and Putin have made their aim clear: to wipe Ukraine off the world map.
History matters. Although the Soviet Union collapsed, its imperialist ideology never did. In Russia, the history books never changed.
We have let Putin get away with aggression several times before. We can’t let him get away with it again.
Putin's strategic aims haven't changed.
Like AT Denys_Shmyhal says: If Russia stops fighting, there will be peace. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine.
We should have the courage to say: Ukraine must win this war.
And we must act accordingly.
That means we need to continue support Ukraine’s fight for freedom, while building up pressure against aggressor with further sanctions and political and economic isolation.
We need a long-term policy change towards Russia. The free world should follow the motto: “When the facts change, I change my mind”.
We have seen huge and historic turnarounds. Also here in Germany. But as long as this aggression is not stopped, we have not done enough.
I understand the difficult choices democratic leaders face today.
But our neighbour’s problem today will be our problem tomorrow.
It’s time for everyone to use their moral compass.
Full Speech:
https://valitsus.ee/en/news/16th-berlin-speech-freedom-kaja-kallas-prime-minister-estonia
I begin to wonder about the micro generation of Xennials just beginning to take power in Eastern Europe.
I was 10 when my parents took me to the border in Germany. A year or so later it was gone and the next time we visited my grandfather we drove into East Germany and saw the difference. We felt it.
Many years later DH and I travelled to Bosnia and Serbia. And then more recently we went to Estonia and Latvia. Whilst we were in Riga it was Independence Day that had an impact on us... During the same trip we visited a nazi concerntration camp. It had been set up as a memorial but also had the hallmarks of the Soviet era. There were these massive concrete figures who were utterly haunting and impressive. And almost spoke of the glory of the soviet union as much as the haunting tragedy of the holocaust. But unlike other memorials in Eastern Europe this one has fallen into some disrepair. Being in Latvia whilst it was Independence Day this made sense - as time has passed the connection people have with the sight is less about WWII and more about the more recent living memory of oppression under the Soviet Union. Its not that people have forgotten here, its that they remember their own oppression and they understand it must be protected and fought for. The Xiennials, in particular, are people who have children who are a similar age to when the wall fell. This is incredibly poignant and amplifies the feeling of responsibility of our time.
Western Europe never had this experience. And the UK perhaps is unique because we have this national identity about fighting for democracy which isn't the same as in other Western European countries. Hence our reaction is possibly different because our national psychology is different.
For me, my subsequent lived experiences are really accutely ingrained into how I feel about Ukraine.
For me there are no choices about certain things unfortunately.
And I wonder what the mirror effect in Russia is, with the security forces, army and Putin himself seeing an existential threat to their control...
The clash is huge. There isn't going to be a backing down on either side, because neither can. I am wondering if we have no choice but to wait for the internal collapse and collapse of the army. If it happens...