«President Lennart Meri also emphasized that international law is a nuclear weapon of small states. I am encouraged by the support of India and the Pacific region for international law and the UN Charter. I also express my gratitude to Singapore for their strong support for Ukraine and for their very principled and clear condemnation of Russian aggression,» Kallas said in her speech.
Kallas also stated at the Shangri-La Dialogue that NATO is a defense alliance, and contrary to Russia's imperialist narrative, NATO enlargement does not threaten Russia's security.
«Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine has once again made it crystal clear why the Central and Eastern European countries wanted to join NATO quickly after the Soviet occupation. NATO does not exist to threaten Russia, but to protect its members from the threat of Russia,» Kallas said.
The prime minister also explained how those who accuse NATO of «enlargement» and «escalation» embrace the same imperialist language and ideology that Russia advocates.
«NATO does not threaten Russia's security, but Russian imperialism,» Kallas said.
The Estonian prime minister also emphasized the need to establish ties and cooperate with those who can be trusted. It is therefore very important to strengthen cooperation between the European Union and the ASEAN countries so that we can collectively reduce our dependence on unreliable partners. Building new trustworthy connections must also go hand in hand with cybersecurity. There is therefore ample potential for greater cooperation between, for example, the EU and the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.