Renew Democracy Initiative gala
Speech by H.E. Rein Tammsaar, Permanent Representative of Estonia
4 April 2024
Ladies and Gentlemen, Excellencies,
I am honoured to receive the 2024 Heroes of Democracy Award on behalf of my Prime Minister, Ms Kaja Kallas.
Prime Minister Kallas is a rock. Let me assure you, she does not eat Russians for breakfast. And yet, indeed she fights bad guys, stands for truth and for what is morally right and is allergic to political naiveté and indecisiveness. She has been advancing Estonia´s interests, while supporting freedom and democracy in the world. This is how she is.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We´ve seen how Russia has been degrading back to totalitarian rule, how our failure in Bucharest led to Russia´s aggression against Georgia, to the annexation of Crimea, Donbass and then to full scale aggression against Ukraine. The lesson we should have all learnt is that appeasement and the failure to ensure credible deterrence on our side, inevitably leads to new bloodshed on a much bigger scale. Always. So, we cannot allow the criminal KGB relict who usurped power in Russia to achieve his goals, as he will escalate again by coming for more if allowed.
The stark reality is that Ukrainians are dying as we in the West continue to constrain Ukraine and engage in self-deterrence. Why don´t we urgently shake off our paralyzing fear and indecisiveness, get rid of remaining red lines? We´ve done a lot, but much more needs to be done as the entire world order is at stake. A dictator, wanted by the International Criminal Court, victoriously trampling on the principles of the UN Charter would definitely encourage the whole cohort of tyrants and autocrats to jump at the throat of the free world.
That is why Estonia pushed forward the 1 million rounds of ammunition for Ukraine initiative; is calling for investing 0,25% GDP in support of Ukraine, as we do; advocating for the release of the so called war bonds; imposing really strong sanctions, and establishing tough measures against those helping to circumvent sanctions. This is why we support the full use of frozen Russian assets, and the establishment of an oil price cap for Russian oil that would actually bite. This is why we demand the establishment of an International Tribunal for the crime of aggression. This is why we push to firmly set Ukraine on the path of EU and NATO membership. For the last 20 years NATO means security, prosperity and peace for Estonians and Ukraine deserves no less. If Ukraine is left in a geopolitical grey zone, we get nothing but a never-ending war.
So, we need to contain and defeat Russia in Ukraine if we want a just and lasting peace. Otherwise we are going to sleepwalk into a Hobbesian world, global chaos and maybe another world war. For the first option to prevail, mostly political will is required. In Estonia, we are fully committed to support Ukraine as long as it takes. To win this war we need the same spirit across the entire free world.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am convinced that today´s RDI award will reinforce the message of my Prime Minister and inspire other global leaders to follow her remarkable example.
Thank you. Слава Україні!