Ansip pointed out that the meeting of Western leaders in London over the weekend, to which the Baltic states were not invited, was neither the first nor the only one of its kind.

"Already in December, a high-level NATO representative convened a select group in Brussels, though the composition of that gathering was not entirely clear. Two weeks ago, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted another Ukraine-related discussion in Paris, inviting various participants. The goal of the London meeting was to demonstrate that Europe is capable of peacekeeping, but in reality, we do not have peace," Ansip said.

According to Ansip, such meetings have been taking place for years, and each time, they have served as a wake-up call. "For the past ten years, or perhaps even longer, a certain awakening has been slowly taking place in Europe," he said.

"If we look at Denmark's aid to Ukraine, according to the Kiel Institute, Denmark alone has provided more assistance than France, Spain and Portugal combined. Sweden has contributed more to Ukraine than large France. Estonia has already given over a billion euros in aid. And if we consider Italy — it has provided more than two billion. In my view, these proportions are not balanced," the former prime minister reflected.

"Trump's wake-up call for Europe is necessary — not for all countries, but certainly for some. Right now, it is especially needed because everyone understands that the situation is complicated. At the same time, we should not overdramatize it, as all signs indicate that Russia's military position is weakening," Ansip said.

Ansip: Russia's situation not good

According to Ansip, Putin is needlessly mocking Europeans, and Americans are also mistaken if they see Putin as the significantly stronger side.

"First of all, Russia has failed to conquer the four regions it claims as its own. If we look at what Putin comments on in television broadcasts, it's all about minor victories," Ansip noted.

He believes it is evident that Russia's resources are running out — tanks are in short supply, wounded soldiers are being sent back to the frontlines quickly and even men with crutches are being deployed to fight.

"Russia is in no position to portray itself as a mocker of the European Union," Ansip said.

"As a comparison, tiny Norway alone has reserves of €1.3 trillion, while the European Union's seven-year budget is €1.07 trillion. When considering Ukraine's military expenditures over the past three years, the total is just €200 billion. So, it's incorrect to say that we have given everything away and can no longer do anything. We have indeed woken up, but unfortunately, it is not enough. I still argue that many countries remain in a state of slumber," Ansip explained.

"Trump's harsh statements could serve as a wake-up call for them, which, in turn, would benefit us. While I personally do not find such behavior appealing, it may still be necessary," the former prime minister said.

Picking a fight with Europe harmful for US arms manufacturers

Ansip highlighted a positive development: Europe has begun to strengthen its defense industry.

"Let's look at our northern neighbors — both the Finns and Swedes have successfully ramped up their shell production. Similarly, Germany's defense industry has made significant progress in recent years. So, it's not accurate to say that everything is being held back due to a lack of leadership," he noted.

Ansip, who describes himself as an optimist, said that despite the effects of last Friday's controversial meeting at the White House, he believes transatlantic relations will remain relatively strong in the future.

"If we consider the American defense industry, they are not interested in a weakening of Western unity. Right now, arms manufacturers have more orders than they can fulfill, but if the West were to fracture, it would create a crisis of trust. Who would buy weapons from a supplier whose supply chains could be cut off overnight? If transatlantic relations deteriorate, it would negatively impact the U.S. defense industry as well. I believe this is one of the key factors ensuring that defense industry cooperation between the U.S. and Europe remains strong in the future," Ansip said.

Mutual interests manufacture joint values

Ansip is currently working on a memoir about his years in politics.

"As prime minister for nine years, I experienced a variety of events, and I will likely write about them. However, when it comes to Ukraine today, I believe the most important thing remains military support for Ukraine," he said.

Drawing from his experience, Ansip pointed out that defending shared values is always more successful when it is accompanied by shared interests.

"For this reason, I would support a U.S.-Ukraine natural resources agreement — even though my support carries little weight — because it would create mutual interests. If we recall Estonia's buyback of its railway, it wasn't directly about creating shared interests, but at least it helped avoid an economic conflict," Ansip said.

"I remember that when I was minister of economic affairs, we attended a conference in Washington. During a coffee break, one of the privatizers of Estonian Railways, Henry Posner III, approached me and said that his assets in Estonia were being confiscated. He was told what tariffs he could charge for transporting goods on his railway, and he said he was calling the White House to request that U.S. Marines be sent to Estonia. I thought, 'The Marines are welcome, since Estonia is a NATO member.' But it was clear to me that we needed to remove American ownership from this company because ports were being built at the mouth of the Lauga River and elsewhere. Predicting whether the transit business could thrive in the future was impossible; a conflict with the Russians was inevitable. However, a conflict with the Americans was avoidable — and that was actually the reason why we decided to buy back the railway for the state," Ansip recalled.

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