Estonian Prime Minister Michal refused to tone down his rhetoric regarding Russia: "Putin is a dictator"
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, commenting on media reports that the Pentagon had asked the Baltic states to tone down their rhetoric toward Russia, stated that pandering to dictators only leads to humiliation.
This was reported by Censor.NET, citing Delfi.
Details
"Estonia, like the other Baltic countries, speaks openly about the threat from Russia. We have held this position in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
At home, we hear politicians’ pre-election complaints that we aren’t decisive enough, while the news tells us that our allies from the world’s largest country are asking us to exercise restraint. That’s the situation we find ourselves in," he noted.
Michal said that he had not received any such requests directly from the U.S. The last time he met with Donald Trump was this summer in Ankara, and the topic was not brought up at all then.
"I'm not going to hold back. Putin is a dictator who kills women and children. And he will continue to do so until he is forced to change course," Michal added.
The publication was unable to reach Defense Minister Martin Herem. A spokesperson for the ministry stated that the Reuters report is based on anonymous sources, so the ministry will not comment on it.
Background
- Media outlets had previously reported that the Pentagon had asked the Baltic states to be more restrained in their statements about the threat posed by Russia
