In his end of the year interview with public broadcaster ERR, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves spoke among other things about changed rules and a new world that one has to get accustomed to.
Estonian president speaks about changed global rules in end of year interview
23rd December 2014, 14:51
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«What we have is this kind of constant change, we need to adapt all the time, every day – especially as far as the security situation of Europe goes. We were used to matters being solved in one way, where we focused on very many details because we presumed that the world functions in a definite manner. Now we are finding out that it doesn't function in that manner any more,» Ilves said.
Speaking of the reassurance visit that U.S. President Barack Obama made to Estonia this year, Ilves said insufficient input by NATO members has been the number one problem for the United States. We are again – just like the Germans used to say about us earlier in the context of the European Union – musterknabe, a model student, Ilves said.
«We do what has been agreed. We cannot do the things that the big ones can afford to do. That's what Andokides taught already: the big ones will do what they want and the small – or weak – will do what they have to do,» the president said, adding that Estonia's hope was that agreements will be observed.
As regards Germany, the Estonian head of state said that country has gone through big changes over the past year.
«If you look at Frau Merkel's statements in the last 12 months, we see gradually greater frustration, a harder line [with Russia],» Ilves said. So in the case of Germany the important question is whether it is ready to take greater responsibility in terms of foreign and security policy, he added.
«This is a very sensitive topic in Germany, yet until now Germany has played a smaller role in foreign and security policy than in economy, although they are all connected with one another,» the president added.
Asked why he thought Ukraine could not cement the gains of the Orange Revolution, Ilves rephrased the question in an Estonian context: «The question is about why all those other [Eastern European] countries didn't do what Estonia did.»