Annexation of Crimea Must Not Become Accepted Reality, Mikser Says
The series of events in Ukraine was a wake-up call for Western Europe and reminded them of how dangerous and unpredictable Russia can be, Defense Minister Sven Mikser said, adding that if Russia stops with Crimea, Estonia must be among the states that make sure the West does not accept the situation.
Mikser told ETV on Monday many analysts were surprised that Russia decided to annex Crimea instead of creating a pseudo-state like South Ossetia or Abkhazia. “If Russia is contented with that, it is our business to make sure that the European Union and NATO will not accept the so-called changed reality, will not say 'it wasn’t that bad.'"
He said the events are a wake-up call to Europe, as the U.S. “was never really asleep”. Mikser does not believe the Obama administration will take the course of isolationism, instead it is looking towards Europe more, because it is clear that the threats are not only in the Pacific region but also in Europe.
The minister said it would be good if the NATO countries that have cut down their defense spending would increase it again in light of the new security situation. He also assured that NATO’s Article 5 on collective defense stands, and “in such a difficult situation, our security is guaranteed better than it would be without NATO membership”.