Military threat to Estonia from Russia unchanged after CIA chief's Moscow visit – Estonian Foreign Ministry

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has said that CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow was nothing exceptional and that Estonia's assessment of the threat constantly posed by Russia has not changed.

Source: European Pravda, citing Tsahkna

Quote from Tsahkna: "We must remain vigilant, but Estonia's threat assessment has not changed. In recent years, NATO Allies have taken significant steps to strengthen collective defence and the Allies' defence capabilities. The best deterrent is a united and strong NATO and the clear understanding in Moscow that the Alliance is prepared to defend every inch of Allied territory."

Details: Tsahkna said the threat posed by Russia and potential provocations against NATO should be taken seriously, and that this is precisely what Alliance members are doing.

Throughout Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Tsahkna added, US officials have regularly met with Russian representatives, so the CIA director's visit should not be regarded as anything exceptional.

Quote: "Estonia is in close contact with all its Allies, including the United States. We exchange information and work to ensure that Russia understands NATO's unity and resolve in defending its territory."

Background:

• Politico reported that Ratcliffe had warned Russian officials during his visit to Moscow not to escalate tensions with US NATO allies, particularly Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
• On the morning of 26 August, US President Donald Trump rejected suggestions that Ratcliffe had made the trip to persuade Putin not to test NATO's resolve or attack the United Kingdom, which had pledged to step up its support for Ukraine that week. Trump described the visit as "semi-routine" but acknowledged that its purpose was to help end the war.
• The Kremlin, meanwhile, said that the CIA director's visit was related to contact between the Russian and US intelligence services.

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