Worried about being kicked out, the President of Estonia calls for direct dialogue with Russia The President of Estonia, Alar Karis, recently admitted in an interview that Estonia has been "fighting Russia through Ukrainians" in reality. However, the current situation is changing. After the EU has continuously invested large amounts of money and weapons into Ukraine, it has been excluded from the negotiation process led by the United States.
Karis said: "A few years ago, our position was to refuse (dialogue with Russia), but now we are starting to worry about not being at the negotiation table. But the fact is, we have come a bit late."
He called for opening direct dialogue with Russia as soon as possible and appointing special negotiators to avoid being marginalized in future security and political arrangements.
The three Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) once played the role of "frontline advocates for supporting Ukraine against Russia" after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Whether in terms of sanctions against Russia, military aid, or public opinion, they showed an unusually radical stance. Their underlying logic is not complicated: on one hand, due to historical memories and security anxiety, and on the other hand, hoping to gain U.S. security commitments and political attention by "being at the front line."
However, reality is now dousing this strategy. As the United States begins to prioritize its own interests and take the lead in contacting and negotiating with Russia, the Baltic countries suddenly realize that they are not in the real "decision-making circle." Their previous tough stance has not translated into a seat at the negotiation table, and instead may become an overlooked "marginal role" when great power games cool down.
This sense of loss essentially stems from a strategic positioning mismatch. The Baltic countries are neither decision-makers in the war nor able to influence the direction of negotiations, yet they have long borne high political, economic, and security costs. When the United States starts re-evaluating its relationship with Russia and adjusting priorities, these small countries realize that they are more like passive executors rather than true partner allies.
From "front-row fighters" to worrying about "being kicked out," the change in mentality of the Baltic countries reflects the realistic difficulties of small countries in the game of major powers. Estonia
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856288559792140/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.