NATO threatens Russia’s imperialism, not Russia’s security - Estonian PM

She said this in an interview with ERR after speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, Ukrinform reports.

"The most important references of my speech were about refuting the narrative related to NATO. I use my country as an example. When we were freed from the occupation, we did everything we could to make sure it never happened again. It means we must never be alone," she said, according to a report delivered in Russian.

Estonia's accession to NATO was a free choice of the people, not something imposed on the country by any external forces, she emphasized.

"Here. some claim that the expansion of NATO as a process that is somehow not related to the will of the countries, but I deny this. Russia behaves like the last colonial power that is actually trying to colonize and expand its empire. This is a topic that will perhaps find a response here, the one that will be understood here," Prime Minister of Estonia added.

Kallas also noted that those who blame NATO for expansion and escalation adopt the imperialist language and ideology promoted by Russia. "NATO is a threat not to Russia's security but to Russia’s imperialism," Kallas is convinced.

According to her, the third important topic of her speech concerned the reaction to the war, which, in turn, sends a signal to the whole world.

"If using aggression as a tool pays off because you get more territory or more assets as a result, then other countries that have more power will also use that tool. In this case, we find ourselves not in a world order based on international law, but in a world order based on who is stronger," Kallas emphasized.

The politician also reminded of the need to establish connections and cooperation with those who can be trusted. In her opinion, it is very important to intensify cooperation between the European Union and the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in order to reduce dependence on unreliable partners through joint efforts.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Shangri-La Dialogue, a large-scale security forum, is being held in Singapore on June 2-4, where the war waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine is one of the main topics.

Among the participants are delegations from the U.S., China, and the European Union, in particular heads and high-ranking officials of defense agencies, military, diplomats, arms manufacturers, and security analysts.