10.02.26 NEWS ... Riigikogu Speaker Lauri Hussar (Eesti 200) told ERR in a brief interview that U.S. President Donald Trump would be a highly credible candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize if his efforts were to result in a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

10.02.26 OPINION ... Discussions about a European Union envoy to the US-Russia-Ukraine peace talks lack a realistic understanding of what the special representative could or should achieve, writes Kristi Raik, director of the Tallinn-based International Center of Defense and Security.

10.02.26 NEWS ... Russia is continuing to strengthen its ties with African states and the continent provides new opportunities to deploy officials who can no longer be deployed on Western-facing assignments, the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Agency writes in its 2026 yearbook.

10.02.26 NEWS ... Russia is using U.S.-backed peace talks to end the war in Ukraine as a "tool" for manipulating the West and has no interest in a deal, the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service says in its newly published yearbook.

10.02.26 NEWS ... Estonia's Foreign Intelligence Service releases its 2026 yearbook today which assesses the state's external security threats. The top 19 points of the 86-page report identified by the agency are republished below.

10.02.26 OPINION ... Russia has no intention of militarily attacking Estonia or a NATO member in the coming year, but Moscow's calculations of the balance of power must always work to our advantage, writes Kaupo Rosin, director general of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, in the introduction to the 2026 yearbook.

09.02.26 NEWS ... No "smoking gun" revelations on Estonia have emerged yet from the large-scale publication of the so-called Epstein files, though the country is mentioned over 200 times in the documents.

09.02.26 NEWS ... Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told ERR that if President Alar Karis has proposals to change Estonia's foreign policy, they should not be made through the media, especially not on the international stage, but rather discussed at the table. So far, the president has not done so.

09.02.26 NEWS ... Member of European Parliament Gen. (ret.) Riho Terras said diplomatic efforts for peace in Ukraine are struggling to make ground and diminished the idea of an EU envoy at the talks.

07.02.26 NEWS ... An Estonian-backed online course has brought together 350 Moldovan students, officials and experts to understand what joining the EU really means — and what Moldova can learn from Estonia's experience, writes Patricia Mihailă.

06.02.26 NEWS ... Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv this week, where they agreed that sustained pressure and isolation of Russia are the only way to secure a just and lasting peace.

06.02.26 NEWS ... On Friday (February 6), the Estonian foreign ministry summoned the Russian Embassy's chargé d'affaires ad interim to deliver a diplomatic note informing them Estonia will close two of its border crossing points to night-time traffic.

06.02.26 NEWS ... Speaking in Milan, Italy, President Alar Karis told Estonian journalists that Estonia's foreign policy remains unified despite recent public debate over his comments on Ukraine. Karis advised the foreign minister and prime minister to call him directly in case of disagreements, rather than airing them through the media.

06.02.26 NEWS ... A cargo ship thought to form part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet was rocked by an explosion while sailing in the Gulf of Finland Thursday.

06.02.26 NEWS ... The first Estonian-funded mobile crisis center was opened in Kyiv on Thursday to help residents facing blackouts caused by repeated Russian missile attacks during the coldest winter for 16 years.

05.02.26 NEWS ... Estonia will temporarily close two crossing points on the border with Russia following a series of incidents in which Russian border guards have behaved irrationally, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said on Thursday.

05.02.26 NEWS ... Social Democrat MP and Riigikogu National Defense Committee member Raimond Kaljulaid said that failure to align and coordinate foreign policy with President Alar Karis marks a failure by the foreign and prime ministers.

05.02.26 NEWS ... Prime Minister Kristen Michal said Tuesday that President Alar Karis' idea of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia clashes with Estonia's core values and longstanding support.

04.02.26 NEWS ... Estonian President Alar Karis and Latvian PM Evika Siliņa have called for a special European envoy to participate in talks with the Kremlin on ending the war in Ukraine, Euronews reports. Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) strongly rejects the idea.

05.02.26 NEWS ... Members of the Riigikogu said President Alar Karis and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should better coordinate their foreign policy messages to avoid confusion after comments about a potential EU envoy to Russia.

04.02.26 NEWS ... Belgium is reportedly considering renting space in Estonia's prisons to relieve overcrowding in its own jails, Belgian media reports.

04.02.26 NEWS ... A weaker dollar versus the euro brings mixed effects for Estonia and the EU, experts say: tougher times for exporters, offset by modest gains for consumers.

03.02.26 NEWS ... Unlike several other European countries, Estonia has long understood that the United States expects greater defense spending from its European allies, Estonian Ambassador to the U.S. Kristjan Prikk said in an interview with ERR. Prikk is set to become Estonia's ambassador to NATO in the second half of the summer.

03.02.26 NEWS ... France's Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad defended President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion to restarted communcation with Russia, saying Europe should have a seat at the table and can be a great power.

02.02.26 NEWS ... Estonia's new ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels will be the current Estonian ambassador to the United States, Kristjan Prikk.

01.02.26 NEWS ... Members of parliament voted in favor of a statement supporting the people of Iran and condemning the systematic and extensive human rights violations of the Iranian authorities.

31.01.26 NEWS ... A major sting operation overseen by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) led to 28 arrests in Estonia, while at least one suspect is still on the run.

30.01.26 OPINION ... The same logic that allows Iran's authorities to execute their own people also allows them to support Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, writes Margus Tsahkna.

30.01.26 NEWS ... An Estonian proposal to bar anyone who has fought in the Russian military during its invasion of Ukraine from entering the European Union has plenty of support from within the bloc, the union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.

30.01.26 NEWS ... Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee head Marko Mihkelson lambasted a photo of Trump and Putin apparently hanging in the White House Palm Room.

29.01.26 NEWS ... Even if the number of American boots on the ground in Europe were to fall, the U.S. is likely to remain supportive of the continent, security expert Meelis Oidsalu said.

28.01.26 NEWS ... Kersti Kaljulaid told ERR in an interview she has not considered running again for president of Estonia. However, she noted that some politicians have previously told her she is seen as a highly competent leader in foreign affairs — but a nuisance domestically.

27.01.26 NEWS ... Kamran Abilov, who became Russia's new Chargé d'affaires in Estonia in December, said that at present it is impossible to resume negotiations between the two countries on the ratification of agreements related to their common state border.

27.01.26 NEWS ... Kristi Raik, director of the International Center for Defense and Security, told ERR that the U.S. fails to grasp how vital its alliances are. She added that President Donald Trump's desire for power and fame drives irrational actions, such as his wish to acquire Greenland.

27.01.26 NEWS ... U.S. President Donald Trump backed off threats against Greenland and EU tariffs, prompting Europe to brace for future pressure and seek unity in its response.

26.01.26 NEWS ... Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told ERR that U.S. President Donald Trump is not erratic in his actions, but rather uses rhetoric that can be unsettling. Tsahkna advised against panicking or overreacting.

26.01.26 NEWS ... Finland plans to set up a maritime surveillance center which will also see cooperation from Estonia, Yle reported.

26.01.26 OPINION ... Former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder is attempting to change Europe's course, from one of pressuring Russia, back towards the old mistakes, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said.

26.01.26 NEWS ... Finland only funds overseas Finnish schools for students registered in a Finnish municipality. Due to a data reform, those in Estonia risk losing this support.

25.01.26 NEWS ... President Alar Karis responded on Sunday to U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that NATO allies played an insignificant role in Afghanistan, noting Estonians served on the front lines.

24.01.26 NEWS ... The eight Nordic and Baltic countries (NB8) called for Russia to stop military operations targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure and demanded an end to attacks on substations.

23.01.26 NEWS ... Liechtenstein and Estonia will work together on two projects in the education and health sectors in Ukraine's Zhytomyr region as part of reconstruction efforts in the country.

23.01.26 NEWS ... It is still unclear what joint military exercises in Greenland will look like and there is no need to send Estonian troops there urgently, said head of the Defense Forces Lt. Gen. Andrus Merilo.

23.01.26 NEWS ... Greenlanders have largely not reacted to Donald Trump's announcement Wednesday the United States will not forcibly take over their country, and remain in a wait-and-see mode.

23.01.26 NEWS ... Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech before the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, Switzerland, Thursday night was "unfair," Riigikogu foreign affairs committee chair Marko Mihkelson (Reform) said.

22.01.26 NEWS ... The Estonian government has opted to tighten the state border crossing procedures for Russian citizens working in diplomatic and consular missions.

22.01.26 NEWS ... Even if Estonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had an unlimited budget, it still couldn't read Donald Trump's mind, Raimond Kaljulaid (SDE) tells ERR in an interview. While Kaljulaid considers Estonian politicians' positions on the Greenland issue generally reasonable, he criticizes the lack of coordination and consistency in messaging.

22.01.26 NEWS ... While the times are confusing, there is currently no reason to panic, said Foreign Ministry chancellor Jonatan Vseviov. Estonia has never been in such a good starting position to enter a transition era, in light of the recent dispute over the future of Greenland, he believes.

21.01.26 NEWS ... Christian Keldsen, director of the Greenland Business Association, told ERR's Astrid Kannel that U.S. threats have not yet impacted businesses on the island, though there is concern about the long-term effects.

21.01.26 NEWS ... A committee to investigate Russia's influence activities, their financing methods, links to the Estonian public sector, propaganda projects, and the risks associated with them has been started by the members of parliament.