Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (48) he warned of a new security threat during his trip to Australia. If the war in Ukraine ended with an agreement, Russia could use hundreds of thousands of its fighters, including released criminals, for a large-scale hybrid war against the West. It therefore calls on democratic countries to introduce a blanket travel ban for Russian soldiers, writes
Tsahkna in Canberra pointed out that world security will be threatened if a possible peace agreement in Ukraine is perceived as a definitive mission accomplished. Supporters of Kyiv, according to him they must prepare for the consequences in the form of a Russian hybrid war, in which Russian soldiers who suddenly find themselves “out of work” could join after the fighting ends. According to him, states should already start working on a comprehensive travel ban for almost a million fighters fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
According to the Estonian minister, it would be a double victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin (73) if these war-hardened men, many of whom are convicted murderers and rapists, they did not return to Russia, but would disperse to Europe and other countries of the world. According to him, Russia has already shown several times that it can skilfully conduct a hybrid war on several fronts.
Tsahkna recalled that the world has already paid the price for unpreparedness in the past, when foreign fighters began moving in after the rise and fall of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. In addition, Putin has experience in using migration as a weapon, which he said he demonstrated in cooperation with the Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko in directing refugees to Europe. According to him, the Kremlin’s connection with Russian criminal networks could bring this threat to the whole world.
Dictators only respect force
At the same time, the Estonian head of diplomacy called for the support of a special tribunal of the Council of Europe for the crime of aggression, which would judge those who direct the war from behind. Strongly he rejected claims that the West’s tough approach towards Moscow is causing a spiral of mutual insecurity. On the contrary, according to him, the West’s fear of escalation encourages aggressors such as Russia, China and Iran.
“Dictators like Putin only respect force,” emphasized Tsahkna, saying that this is why Estonia allocates up to 5 percent of GDP to defense. He pointed out that European leaders made a mistake in the past when they thought they would appease Putin with economic incentives and energy pipelines, while they were not deterred even by the Russian invasions of Georgia (2008) and the Ukrainian Crimea (2014).
In evaluating American politics Tsahkna said that Putin actually fears Donald Trump more than Joe Biden or Barack Obama, but Trump has yet to take full advantage of this “position of strength.” The Estonian minister is confident of the continued US commitment to European security, provided allies shoulder their fair share of the burden. He welcomes the efforts of European countries to assume more responsibility, but sees them as a supplement to American involvement, not as a replacement for it.
