(Alex Raufoglu – RFE/RL) As Russia’s war against Ukraine reshapes Europe’s security landscape, Estonia remains one of the countries most closely watching the Kremlin’s next moves. From Russia’s first-ever unannounced live-fire exercise on Lake Peipus on Estonia’s border to Tallinn’s push for an EU-wide ban on Russian ex-combatants entering the Schengen area, Estonia argues that Europe must prepare not only for military threats but also for hybrid warfare, foreign influence operations, and long-term security risks. In an interview with RFE/RL in Washington, Estonia’s Undersecretary for Internal Security Joosep Kaasik discusses why Tallinn believes prevention is Europe’s best defense, explains the reasoning behind Estonia’s law severing the Estonian Orthodox Church’s administrative ties to the Moscow Patriarchate, and assesses Russia’s growing partnerships with countries such as Iran. – ‘Sooner Or Later This Problem Will Be On Your Soil’: Estonia Pushes Europe To Bar Russian Fighters
