Tsahkna: In Russia's cognitive war, all countries become front-line states

TALLINN – Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated after the Munich Security Conference that the war being waged by Russia is not clearly perceptible at first glance and, by transcending national borders, turns all countries into front-line states.

"In Munich, we voiced what we all already know. A war doesn't start with the sound of a trumpet in Moscow. It begins earlier, quietly and insidiously, when the sense of security in our societies is eroded, trust is broken, and people are turned against each other," Tsahkna wrote on social media. "Russia isn't just trying to break us on the battlefield. It is trying to break us from within through sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation, and fear-mongering. This cognitive war has already begun, and it does not respect national borders. In that sense, all countries are front-line states."

"This is precisely what I spoke about at the discussion hosted by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Amerikahaus, where I delivered the opening speech. Democracy does not defend itself, and a sense of security does not emerge on its own. If we do not preserve our unity, no one else will do it for us," Tsahkna explained.

Another major topic in Munich, according to Tsahkna, was Russia's frozen assets. In a discussion with Andrzej Duda and Bill Browder, Tsahkna emphasized that a just and lasting peace also means accountability. This means that Russia must pay for what it has destroyed. The use of frozen assets is still on the table, and it must remain there until the aggressor understands that impunity will not prevail.

In Munich, Tsahkna also met with Lana Nusseibeh, Minister of State of the United Arab Emirates; Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the German Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee; and Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee.