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.

It was not the child’s words that stripped the emperor naked. He was naked all along. The child merely dared to say so. Like canaries in a coal mine, small states serve a vital purpose in international affairs: sounding the alarm before others recognise the danger. Even when the miners would rather not hear it.

Does Putin feel more pressure to end his war today than yesterday? Does he understand that he must abandon his ambitions for Ukraine and Europe? That every day of delay worsens his position? That time is against him and Europe’s resolve will not waver? If the answer is anything less than an unequivocal yes, we have not made the most of the past 24 hours. Time to make the next 24 count.

When it comes to war and peace, no detail is insignificant. No corner can safely be cut. If Europe is to live up to its own insistence on “nothing about Europe without Europe”, we must know precisely what we want. Not only on the terms of peace, but also on the security order that follows. We must make sure our positions are aligned, our ranks are closed, and no one can drive a wedge between us.

Europe’s greatest weakness is not a lack of resources. It is that our ability to formulate and pursue a strategy of our own has atrophied. Little wonder. Throughout the Cold War, Western Europe had little need to do so. Eastern Europe was not allowed to. Time to relearn the art. And put it into practice. Above all, in Ukraine. Because what is decided there is not just Ukraine’s future. It is, to a great extent, Europe’s.

For others to value a small nation’s freedom, that freedom must be of value to them. What makes a small nation valuable? Being the canary in the coal mine, sounding the alarm before others sense the danger. Being the child who declares the emperor has no clothes. Not because others cannot see the truth, but because small nations are often the freest to speak it. Yet freedom to speak is nothing without the courage to do so. Estonia must have that courage. To champion a free Europe. To defend a world governed by right, not might.

A few personal perspectives on 🇪🇪 foreign and security policy. I have devoted my entire adult life to protecting and advancing Estonia as a diplomat and civil servant. I have had the honour of working alongside dedicated people and leading teams with whom we have shaped Estonia’s foreign and defence policy and implemented many of the decisions that have brought us to where we are today. Developing and implementing a comprehensive approach to national defence, bringing Allied military forces to Estonia, strengthening NATO’s collective defence and standing up to Russian aggression – these have been the right choices. They have made Estonia stronger. I have done my work with complete dedication and passion, and I am proud of what we have achieved together. Today, however, I have come to believe that protecting Estonia and moving our country forward requires more than I can accomplish as a civil servant. Estonia needs greater ambition. Not a change of course. Not turning the ship around or running it aground. Quite the opposite. To stay the course of freedom we have chosen, both Estonia and Europe must act with greater confidence and determination. We must ensure that aggression fails. And we must shape the peace that follows so that it safeguards our freedom as well. This is where political leadership at the level of the European Council becomes decisive. For this is where the decisions that matter most for Europe’s future are now made. Not necessarily, or even primarily, around formal negotiating tables. But they are made at the level of leaders. In shaping Europe’s future, Estonia must not simply drift along with the current, let alone become an obstacle or a disruptive force. Quite the opposite. Estonia must lead. We must be a country whose voice carries weight, whose views are heard and whose initiatives inspire others to follow. Keeping Estonia at the heart of Europe, and ensuring that Europe itself endures, is our responsibility. And it is also the most important guarantee of 🇪🇪 freedom.

There seems to be a new social media trend of people declaring that “Russia is not our enemy.” Agreed. We want nothing from Russia. Our demands could hardly be more limited: Russia should go back to Russia and stay there. Nothing more. But nothing less.

Yesterday marked 35 years since Estonia joined the United Nations. The rules-based international order is not perfect. We know that from experience. Despite having been a full member of the League of Nations, Estonia’s illegal annexation kept us from becoming a founding member of the @UN. But even a world imperfectly governed by rules is better than one perfectly ruled by force. That is why we defend international law and the institutions that uphold it.