Estonia’s Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, criticised President Alar Karis who suggested helping Hungary pay fines for cancelling oil contracts with Russia, ERR reported. Speaking in an interview with Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, Karis urged Hungary to end the contracts. Tsahkna insisted that it would be “inconceivable” for states that had freed themselves of dependence on Russian energy to begin contributing money to the Russian economy, which Russia used to finance its war against Ukraine. Writing in an article for ERR, Tsahkna warned against making public statements that undermined Estonia’s credibility.
Meanwhile, politicians representing Estonia’s ruling coalition continued to criticise Karis for softening his remarks on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine during his recent state visit to Kazakhstan, ERR reported. MP Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the Estonian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, stressed that the issue concerned the credibility of Estonia’s foreign policy, which he said must be “clear, principled, and value-based.” Support for Ukraine is “essential for Estonia’s own sovereignty and security,” and “any sign of hesitation, silence, or compromise” weakens both Ukraine and Estonia, Mihkelson cautioned.