Statement by President Alar Karis on the 20th anniversary of Estonia joining NATO:
Joining NATO, but also the European Union, eliminated the isolation that Central and Eastern European countries had to endure after the Second World War. It brought us back to where we belong: a Europe that maintains rules based on international law.
We knew from the very beginning, when we had retaken our country, that neutrality would never be our strength, but would be a temptation to the enemy. The same is true in Europe today, where the gray zones of neutrality are a threat, not an opportunity to protect one’s independence.
In 20 years, the NATO umbrella has become self-evident to us. But the taken-for-grantedness cannot be reduced to comfort and thence to carelessness.
Russia’s war of conquest in Ukraine was the last warning bell – not to us, who had known about its possibility all along, but to many allies. Now we all understand that we need NATO as a strong military organization that defends every millimeter of its territory and is ready to defend all of democratic Europe. With the same ingenuity and zeal with which we once pursued NATO membership, we now work together to strengthen the alliance militarily. So that future generations can also take NATO’s umbrella if needed.
The NATO umbrella is strong and solid. But it requires constant care so that the cover does not creak and the springs do not get tired.
2024-03-29 10:16:34
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