‘I Won’t Hold Back’: Estonian PM Refuses to Soften Criticism of Putin

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said on Friday, Oct. 30, that he would not soften his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin after a report that Pentagon officials had urged Baltic allies to tone down their rhetoric about Russia.Speaking to Delfi, Michal said Estonia would maintain its position and continue speaking openly about the Russian threat.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“I won’t hold back. Putin is a dictator who kills women and children,” he said.Michal added that Putin would continue doing so until he was forced to change course.Appeasing dictators brings humiliation without preserving freedom, Michal argued. Estonia and its Baltic neighbors would continue warning about the threat posed by Russia, he said.Michal said he had not personally received a US request to moderate his language. The issue did not arise when he last met President Donald Trump in Ankara during the summer, he added.He noted that domestic critics accused his government of being insufficiently assertive, even as reports suggested the US wanted greater restraint.Pentagon reportedly urges restraintReuters reported that Pentagon officials had privately asked several NATO allies, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, to tone down their rhetoric about Russia.Four people familiar with the discussions told Reuters the requests were made during bilateral meetings in recent weeks. Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby was among the officials involved. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Ready to Discuss Territory With Putin, Sybiha Says Ukraine coordinated the Nordic leaders’ call with Putin to press for a ceasefire and direct talks, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said. One source said Colby advised a Baltic official against “poking” Russia and cited descriptions of Moscow as cornered and increasingly desperate.Michal had called Putin a rat in a corner in September, linking Russia’s difficulties in Ukraine to suspected sabotage in Europe. Reuters could not establish whether Colby was referring specifically to those remarks.The sources described the conversations as cordial. The Pentagon declined to discuss private exchanges between allies, and NATO also declined to comment.The reported appeals to Baltic governments come as Washington reviews its military presence in Europe and presses European allies to take greater responsibility for their defense.Estonia backs continued pressure on RussiaAt an October summit in Brussels, Michal backed Ukrainian refinery strikes despite US pressure on Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian oil production.“The faster all the Russian refineries and ability to sell energy will be blown to smithereens the better,” Michal said at the time.His comments came as European leaders discussed additional financial support for Ukraine and relations between Kyiv and Washington deteriorated following Trump’s diesel agreement with Russia.On July 7, President Volodymyr Zelensky and Michal signed a Drone Deal agreement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara. Zelensky thanked Estonia for its military and humanitarian assistance, as well as its diplomatic support for Ukraine’s EU and NATO ambitions.Allies debate how to describe the threatSome believe emphasizing it risks amplifying the fear Moscow seeks to spread; others argue that frank warnings help explain the need for greater defense spending and continued support for Ukraine.Western intelligence officials have warned of an expanding Russian sabotage campaign in Europe. Moscow denies conducting such a campaign.Michal said a clear assessment of the threat was essential to preparedness and warned that Ukraine faced a difficult winter. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.