Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna at the NATO summit in Ankara.Image: keystone
Will Vladimir Putin soon attack a NATO country? Estonia’s Foreign Minister has a clear opinion on this. And he sees only two options for the Kremlin ruler.
July 13, 2026, 02:32July 13, 2026, 02:32
Christoph Cöln / t-online
Experts have long considered the Baltic states to be one of Vladimir Putin’s targets if the Kremlin ruler decides to expand his strategy of military escalation to other European countries. Recently, however, the head of the Polish foreign intelligence service, Pawel Szota, also expressed concern that Putin could launch an attack on Poland – possibly in the coming weeks or months, according to reports from Warsaw.
However, Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna cannot accept these scenarios. “We see no signs that Russia is currently preparing a major attack,” said Tsahkna in an interview with the editorial network Germany (RND). “Russia doesn’t have the strength to do that.”
The Estonian sees the man in the Kremlin as having his political back to the wall, but he believes Russia’s military capabilities are currently severely limited. The Ukrainian army had recently dealt severe blows to Russia’s oil industry, but also to its military infrastructure. Kiev was able to hit Russian refineries and weapons factories through drone and missile attacks that reached deep into the Russian mainland. The economic and political consequences for Putin are now devastating.
Tsahkna: “No more fake talks with Putin”
Long queues have recently formed in front of many petrol stations in Russia, and the supply of fuel had to be temporarily stopped in some regions. After years of looking the other way, the Russian population no longer has any choice but to finally deal with the war in Ukraine. The leadership in the Kremlin apparently also had to realize this, which is why for the first time they no longer talk trivially about a “special military operation” but rather about a “war”.
Video: watson/hanna dedial
Estonia’s foreign minister sees the pressure on the Russian ruler growing. “Many who were talking about victory a year ago no longer believe in it. Even among the oligarchs, more and more people are doubting Putin’s war,” Tsahkna told RND. He sees Putin under pressure to negotiate. So he must finally enter into serious negotiations about an end to the war. Otherwise, the Estonian politician predicts a bad end for the Kremlin autocrat: “But it could just as well be that one day he will jump out of the window with his family. After all, this sort of thing happens in Russia.”
Tsahkna expects nothing more from President Donald Trump. The talks between the USA and Russia have “actually failed”. Instead, the Estonian continues to call for the Europeans to act self-confidently in the conflict: “It is not the time to shake hands with Putin with sham talks. Now we need strategic patience and more pressure.”