ERR in Washington: You have been in Washington this week, please tell us, what messages did you bring to the United States?

Maj. Gen. Andrus Merilo: The messages are very simple: to reiterate that the war may not end in Ukraine, because Russia's strategic ambitions remain very high, and the other ultimatums issued by Russia in 2021 are still in effect. An important part of that ultimatum was also that NATO should pull its borders back to where they were in 1997. This means that the countries in the Baltic region, including Estonia, must take into very serious account that negotiations should not take place over our heads.

The second important message was to talk about what we ourselves are doing to be better protected, not only in Estonia but also in Europe, and to ensure that the excellent defense cooperation that has long existed between Estonia and the United States continues in the future, and that both ongoing and new projects actually get up and running.

Today we have confirmation that American support is there for us in any case. Our people's contribution to our own defense is being recognized, this message came through very clearly from all sides. It is highly valued, and it is being said that this is exactly the right initiative. That in order to be better protected, you must first do your part yourself, and then others will come to help, and the Americans have also repeatedly said here that they will certainly not leave us alone in an emergency situation.

Does it seem to you that the Americans understand our concern?

Yes, the Americans understand our concern very well. That was also a reassurance for me, that they have a very clear understanding that the situation is complicated not just in one place, in their view with regard to China, but also in Europe, and that Russia remains a continuing threat. There is also the historical experience from the Cold War era. And Russia is, even today, an existential problem for the United States as well, because its [Russia's] nuclear arsenal is still very significant.

In that regard, I would say there have not been major changes, despite the political turbulence in transatlantic relations. Here, it seems that everything is still just as solid as before. The message is simply clear: Europe must do more, and the Americans have said this before as well.

And I personally agree that Europe must indeed do more, but that does not mean the Americans will leave us alone, pack up, and go somewhere else to play a different game.

This week, and earlier as well, there have been reports in the U.S. media suggesting that the current administration is supposedly considering or planning a reduction of American troops in Eastern Europe. Was this brought up at all, and should we be concerned?

It was not brought up directly; no one confirmed whether there are political discussions taking place. But you do not have to be a strategic genius to understand that, based on the United States' own national interests, such discussions could be on the table.

What is important is that this week and last week, the commander of U.S. European Command, General Cavoli, was also here, this week he spoke before Congress. That appearance was highlighted in every meeting, because the general presented a very clear and understandable military recommendation regarding presence in Europe. And that is exactly what we need, namely, that the presence must be permanent and must also be very credible for deterrence purposes. That was a clear message, and all the members of Congress and the Senate we met with also pointed out General Cavoli's very important appearance.

In recent months, we have seen very abrupt, at times forceful and unexpected policies coming out of the White House. You were more involved with Congress, what is the situation at other levels? Is there also uncertainty and insecurity?

The uncertainty and insecurity are more related to other issues – economic problems, [and] tariffs. Watching the news here in America today, the picture is completely different than back home in Estonia. The so-called economic warfare between the United States and China is quite significant. Tariffs are rising by the hour and have now reached truly astronomical levels. What this means for the economy is a completely separate topic, and they are discussing that here separately.

But no one imposed anything, no one said, do more. Toward us, the message was very positive, because we are doing a great deal, and that is being recognized. At the same time, it was also explained to us several times why such a forceful approach is needed, so that other European countries wake up, those who for some reason still live in the naive belief that the threat is not increasing.

In that regard, I think everything is actually fine, and the added pressure on Europe – perhaps a different approach to the same message that the United States has been delivering for years, that Europe must do more – maybe a stronger message is exactly what is needed now, and that has come at the political level.

But once again, here we have been received everywhere as old, good friends with shared interests and who also stand for shared values.

We also cannot overlook what has happened back home. In the early hours of Friday, an oil tanker was detained in the Gulf of Finland. Do we have any new information? What is the current situation?

As I am currently in the United States, I have temporarily handed over command to the Chief of the General Staff, who is handling the matter. Based on the information available to me, a suspicious vessel whose documents are not in order has been successfully detained. However, this vessel cannot in any way be linked to activities targeting critical infrastructure, it simply entered our territorial waters.

During the inspection, certain issues were discovered with both the flag state and possibly other documents. The Police and Border Guard Board is now continuing to investigate the background in more detail.

But indeed, we detained a suspicious vessel, we had been monitoring its movements for a long time, and it is currently under the control of our authorities, we will see what happens next. It is likely a vessel belonging to a shadow fleet, as it was an empty tanker moving toward Ust-Luga, presumably to take on a new cargo and circumvent sanctions. But the investigation will reveal more.

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