Estonian Foreign Minister tells @WilfredFrost the Baltic states are not at the top of the list of Russia's threats, despite the narrative around it. @Tsahkna adds that he is "much more concerned about the Western democracies."

🗣️ Estonian Foreign Minister @Tsahkna tells @WilfredFrost, 'Russia is turning up the heat, trying to boil Europe like a frog over the years and then testing our unity' ⬇️

What happens when Estonians really love a book? It turns into a cabbage. 🥬 Well, at least in our language. A book read so many times that it becomes worn, soft and frayed is “loetud kapsaks” – literally, “read into a cabbage”. Now the expression has been cast in bronze: a giant cabbage at the Estonian National Library, soon to be unveiled as the “Monument to Books Worn to Shreds”. Only in Estonia? 🇪🇪

LATEST: 🇪🇪 Estonian PM Kristen Michal approved a proposal to give AI agents government-issued IDs with "limited, controllable and auditable authorizations" for actions like booking flights, filing taxes, or making payments.

In Tallinn for talks with Estonian officials and to speak at the Lennart Meri Conference @ICDS_Tallinn. Grateful to @AlarKaris for the invitation. Estonia is a true friend and inspiration — Moldova is determined to follow in its footsteps into the EU.

1 November 2026 marks my final day as Secretary General of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I leave with mixed emotions. Some melancholy, certainly. But above all, pride. Pride in what we have achieved, in the results we have delivered, and in the extraordinary team with whom I have had the privilege of working. From reinvigorating Estonian diplomacy despite the constraints of the pandemic to developing the strategy — and tactics — for countering Russian aggression, we have accomplished a lot. There were times when all of Europe was singing from our songbook. Not by accident or coincidence, but because the ideas and policy objectives we developed stood the test of scrutiny beyond Estonia. And because we had the skill and courage to shape the debate and set the agenda, even when the stakes — and the risks — were high. Alongside shaping policy, we also built something equally important: the institution itself. Today, the Foreign Ministry is among Estonia’s most dedicated public institutions. A place where people want to work — and stay. That is no small achievement. Professional diplomatic services are notoriously difficult organisations to manage, regardless of country. Constant rotation, changing teams and shifting responsibilities make leadership a particular challenge. I am therefore especially pleased that our colleagues have given the Ministry increasingly positive ratings in successive internal satisfaction surveys. I am equally proud that we have achieved near-perfect gender balance in our leadership. Proof that when we focus on getting things done rather than finding excuses, remarkable things are possible. Compared with six years ago, Estonian diplomacy now stands on a far more sustainable organisational, financial and technological footing. We have expanded our embassy network, purchased and renovated properties, and increasingly moved from renting to owning. Our embassies, residences and, with some qualifications, our headquarters now serve our diplomats better and tell Estonia’s story to the world. Our newest embassies are genuinely world-class, both in design and functionality. But diplomacy has never been confined to offices, conference rooms or embassy walls. Nor should it be. The photographs accompanying this post offer a glimpse of just how much of our work has taken place beyond them.