Estonian Foreign Minister: Zelensky’s words about an imminent Russian attack on the Baltic countries contradict the assessment of Estonian intelligence

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that the words of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky about an imminent Russian attack on the Baltic countries do not correspond to intelligence data from Tallinn, ERR reports . According to the minister, there are no signs that Moscow is concentrating forces to strike NATO or the Baltic states - on the contrary, Russia is in a weak position both on the Ukrainian front and economically. At the same time, Tsakhkna said that such statements by an ally “complicate bilateral cooperation.”

Earlier, Zelensky suggested in a television interview that Internet restrictions in Russia may be related to preparations for a large-scale mobilization, the purpose of which is a new offensive in Ukraine or a strike on the Baltic countries. The president also questioned the reliability of Article 5 of the NATO charter, admitting that not all members of the alliance would want to defend the Baltic states. However, according to him, NATO countries have no other choice - otherwise the alliance will cease to exist.

Tsahkna, however, doubted the validity of the Ukrainian president’s concerns regarding Article 5. The minister called criticism of European allies by US President Donald Trump a factor that reduces NATO cohesion, but does not deprive the alliance of its ability to respond collectively. Estonia, he emphasized, also has its own defense potential.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament Marko Mihkelson assessed Zelensky’s words as “playing into the hands of Russian propaganda.” According to him, the Ukrainian side regularly hints that if events develop unfavorably, the Baltic countries will be the next to be hit - and such signals only strengthen Moscow’s narrative that it is winning. Mihkelson also noted that serious threats should be exchanged with allies through closed channels, and not through the press.

The leader of the far-right EKRE party, Martin Helme, takes a different position: in his opinion, fear of Russia is deliberately whipped up by Estonian politicians themselves. The current narrative about the threat from Moscow, he believes, has been used by the ruling party since the very beginning of the war to raise taxes and discredit domestic political opponents. Zelensky’s statements, according to Helme, pursue the same goal - to create a feeling of alarm among the allies, so that they would more actively supply weapons to Kyiv.