Kaja Kallas warns against falling into trap of fear at Lennart Meri Conference

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Photo: Sander Ilvest

At the closing discussion of the Lennart Meri Conference on Saturday, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine and avoiding the traps of various fears.

During the discussion, Kallas posed a question about what is preventing the free world from adequately supporting Ukraine, according to government spokespeople.

«Fear holds us back from supporting Ukraine. Countries have different fears, such as fear of nuclear escalation, migration, or conflict escalation. We must not fall into the trap of fear, as this is exactly what Putin wants. He wants us to be afraid and, out of fear, to withhold support from Ukraine,» she said. «Let's act decisively and not let our future be dictated by our adversaries.»

Kallas also emphasized in the conference discussions that we must support Ukraine not only as long as necessary but also as much as necessary.

«This means helping Ukraine push Russia back to its borders. We must continue sanctions until Ukraine's territorial integrity is restored. The aggressor must compensate for the damage caused, and criminals, including the Russian leadership, must be held accountable. The end of grey zones is the peace Europe needs -- this means Ukraine must become a member of both the EU and NATO,» the prime minister said.

Joining Kallas online in the final discussion of the conference was Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Also present were Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani, director of the Indian think tank Observer Research Foundation Samir Saran, and historian Timothy Snyder. The discussion was moderated by CNN journalist Jim Sciutto.

The discussion concluded the three-day international conference in Tallinn, where foreign and security policy experts discussed key global political issues.