"The U.S. is such a big and diverse country that some people think he's done a lot of good for the country, while others believe the opposite," Prikk said in an appearance on ETV foreign affairs show "Välisilm" on Monday.

"In terms of his first 100 days [back in office], Trump himself believes everything related to border security and migration has been a success," he noted. "How he was largely able to reduce illegal border crossings, how some of the people illegally in the country have been deported and in certain cases also sent to prison. There is an incredible number of areas where some kind of changes have occurred, and there's no shortage of views on those matters either."

The most talked-about issue of Trump's second term has been the imposition and increase of tariffs, which has triggered a wave of criticism in both domestic and foreign policy. According to Prikk, this has stirred a certain degree of uncertainty in both the public and the government.

"The economy is, of course, one of the main issues at the heart of everything — especially when it comes to starting trade disputes or issuing challenges," the ambassador said.

"The U.S.' overall macroeconomic figures are rather better than those of other major developed countries, but the implementation of import tariffs has sent a shockwave through the system," he explained. "We don't know what the next quarter will hold. We do know that people close to Trump — and probably Trump himself — are definitely concerned about the risk of rising inflation. Inflation, as we know, was a major reason why Joe Biden's presidency ended the way it did."

Prikk pointed out that right now, no policy field in the U.S. sees the public fully united in either supporting or criticizing changes.

"Last week marked 100 days since Trump took office, and it was very interesting to see how this was covered by various media outlets," he said. "Among his supporters and voters, the coverage they favored was dominated by a lot of excitement and a birthday-like atmosphere. As if something very important were being celebrated — something that had already accomplished a lot."

The ambassador acknowledged the opposite as well.

"There's definitely quite a lot of nervousness and fear of the unknown too," he continued. "There are of course plenty of people who have been dealt a blow in some way — including due to funding cuts or direct layoffs. These primarily concern Washington itself. It's a complex picture, and I don't think there's a single area where these positions or reactions are entirely uniform."

Prikk also confirmed that he is not afraid of getting negative feedback from the U.S. for his comments, nor does he expect to encounter a situation where he would be barred from reentering the country.

"My job is still to serve the Estonian state and people, and to speak the truth," he emphasized.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!