Dear Estonian people and dear Estonian friends!

Congratulations to all on the occasion of the 106th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia!

In retrospect, it is easy to believe that Estonia's independence was self-evident. The logical sequence of events unfolded in such a manner that any other outcome seems inconceivable. Yet, the endeavor itself also required a significant dose of pure courage, embarked upon without knowledge of what would follow.

The ancient Greek historian Thucydides said that the secret to happiness is freedom, and the secret to freedom is courage. Just as the Estonians summoned the courage to become free in 1918, we now witness the brave Ukrainians fighting for their freedom for the second year.

They are not only fighting for their own freedom but for the freedom of the entire Europe. Ukraine does not require our words of support without concrete actions to follow them. We must exert every effort to secure victory in the war in Ukraine; otherwise, the entire European security architecture will be compromised.

We must not allow ourselves or our allies become numb or weary. This is not the time for complacency. It's the least any of us can do. We are investing in our national defense more than ever; we are collaborating with allies to implement our defense plans, all aimed at deterring the aggressor from ever attacking us. May we never again lose our freedom and independence as a nation.

Today, as we are celebrating the 106th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, we also commemorate all the people of Estonia who went into battle to fight for our new Republic in the War of Independence and perished. We will never forget you.

Thank you to our allies and friends who stand unwaveringly by Estonia and heed us. Thank you to all the people of Estonia. We are a small nation, yet fierce and tough. Together, we can overcome these challenging times. Let us continue to look after each other and our Estonia.

Long live Estonia!

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