The minister made his remarks at the start of an official visit to the U.S. Tsahkna was in New York on Monday for the UN General Assembly's (UNGA) high-level week. He focused on European security, support for Ukraine and improving the effectiveness of the UN during meetings.

Speaking alongside former Polish President Andrzej Duda at a discussion on NATO's eastern flank at the Concordia Summit, Tsahkna said there is calm behind Estonia's borders because Russian forces are occupied in Ukraine.

"We must be prepared for Russia to continue provocations and acts of sabotage against those supporting Ukraine, but talk that Russia is ready for a military confrontation with NATO does not correspond to reality. There are no Russian troops behind our borders," Tsahkna said.

According to the foreign minister, Estonia's threat assessment has not changed. "Talk of war is being used to spread fear, which is intended to deter us from continuing to support Ukraine. We must not allow Putin's intimidation tactics to prevail," he said.

An informal meeting of EU foreign ministers also took place in New York on Monday, where Tsahkna stressed the need to support Ukraine both militarily and economically ahead of the coming winter.

Foreign Minister @Tsahkna is clear on Russia's threat: hybrid activities are a real and ongoing threat, while we currently see no signs of a full-scale invasion of NATO. https://t.co/rB98dkkC2K

— Estonian MFA | #StandWithUkraine (@MFAestonia) September 21, 2026

Tsahkna also took part in the Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders, organized by the World Economic Forum, and held bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Costa Rica and Qatar, UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset.

"Security in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America is closely interconnected. At today's meetings, we agreed that it is in all of our security interests to strengthen cooperation and have a strong United Nations capable of defending its Charter and its principles," Tsahkna said.

The Concordia Summit is an annual gathering held alongside the UNGA, bringing together political and business leaders. Tsahkna's remarks come amid warnings from several European leaders that Russia could stage hybrid attacks on NATO countries supporting Ukraine, though NATO's official threat assessment has not changed.

Estonia has used the UNGA high-level week in previous years to press the case for continued Ukraine support and for strengthening the UN's ability to respond to security threats.

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