On 10 October, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna was on a visit to Riga,
where he took part in a panel discussion at the Riga Security Conference focused on the security of the Baltic Sea region. He also met with his Latvian counterpart Baiba Braže and Latvia’s Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds.
During the panel on Baltic Sea security at the Riga Security Conference, Tsahkna emphasised that Estonia does not exist in a “grey zone” in terms of security. “We have been members of NATO and the European Union for 21 years. Being located next to Russia means this is the only security guarantee. We’ve witnessed this in recent history, and it is one of the main reasons why Sweden and Finland recently joined the Alliance,” the foreign minister said.
“Russia’s escalating and reckless airspace violation on 19 September received a clear response,” Tsahkna stressed, highlighting the importance of the presence of allied forces near Russia’s borders. “We should not waste time debating whether the incident was intentional or not. It is evident that Russia is provoking and escalating to create security dilemmas for us and to divert attention from supporting Ukraine. We’ve seen Russia’s hybrid activities on European soil for years, and through such incidents, Putin is testing our unity—both politically and in terms of security,” Tsahkna stated. “We must not be distracted—we must continue to strengthen NATO’s air defence and support Ukraine,” the minister emphasised.
His meeting with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže covered support for Ukraine, strengthening transatlantic relations, increasing pressure on Russia—including the swift adoption of the 19th sanctions package—and further actions against Russia’s shadow fleet. “In light of Russia’s recent massive attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, it is crucial that the cost of war for Russia increases—work towards this must continue,” Tsahkna said.
In his meeting with Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds, discussions focused on the establishment of the Baltic Defence Line, the so-called drone wall, and the Eastern Sentry initiative. “When it comes to boosting defence capabilities and countering drones, it is vital to learn from Ukraine’s experience,” Tsahkna emphasised.
Photos of the visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/estonian-foreign-ministry/albums/72177720329578425/
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