Estonian Fears, Hopes, and Efforts–Russian War Against Ukraine

Abstract

AbstractDebates following the events in February 2022 in Estonian society have shown diverging opinions about the war in Ukraine. There is, nevertheless, a mainstream viewpoint on how to assist Ukraine, how to respond to Russia, what to expect from NATO allies, and how to deal with the inner cohesion of Estonia's multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society. The least problematic has been understanding how to help Ukraine, with Estonia emerging as the leading donating nation per capita in 2022. As for the response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, most Estonian public and elite support significantly more severe sanctions than have been enacted. In this chapter, we will illustrate that although there have been voices that have demanded the straightforward intervention of NATO in the conflict, there is a consensus that the West should not get directly involved but should indirectly support Ukraine to a greater degree than it has managed to thus far. Despite its membership in NATO, the Estonian political and military elite and the Estonian-speaking society remains afraid that Russia will use the same logic and action against the Baltic States. The main question for Estonia is if and when, after the war in Ukraine, Russia might be ready and motivated to challenge NATO in the Baltic states.