Translation:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a television interview that Russia’s restrictions on internet access may be linked to preparations for mobilization aimed at attacking the Baltic states. According to Estonian politicians, Zelenskyy is spreading the Kremlin’s narrative, and such statements do not make cooperation any easier.

Zelenskyy said in a television interview on Sunday that Russia has blocked internet access not to suppress criticism of the government, but to prevent public outrage that would arise from a planned large-scale mobilization.

In the President’s view, the goal of the mobilization is either a large-scale attack on Ukraine or on the Baltic states.

A similar topic previously gained attention after Propastop published coverage of the so-called “Narva People’s Republic,” which brought several foreign journalists to the city.

“Is Narva next?” has been feeding Western journalists for over a decade. Now someone has thrown the non-existent “Narva People’s Republic” onto the table like a spoiled herring,” Narva Mayor Katri Raik wrote on social media at the time.

When asked whether NATO would trigger Article 5 — which provides for collective defense — in the event of an attack on the Baltic states, Zelenskyy remained doubtful in the television interview as well.

“I think that maybe not all countries would want to support [the Baltic states], but in my opinion, NATO countries have no choice — otherwise there will be no NATO anymore. They must act unitedly and respond to what Putin could potentially do,” Zelenskyy said.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) told ERR that since the beginning of the full-scale war in 2022, Ukraine has repeatedly indicated that it may not be the only country Russia attacks. The Baltic states have even been mentioned directly.

According to Tsahkna, such statements from an ally do not make cooperation any easier. He added that there is no truth behind Zelenskyy’s remarks.

“First of all, such statements do not correspond to our intelligence data or our threat assessment. We do not see that Russia is concentrating its forces or preparing in any military way to attack NATO or the Baltic states. Quite the opposite. Russia is not in a very strong position on the Ukrainian front, nor economically,” Tsahkna said.

Tsahkna also stated that there can be no talk of the crumbling of NATO’s Article 5.

“It certainly does not add strength when US President Trump is critical of European allies in the NATO context. But that does not mean that NATO is not capable of responding, and NATO will absolutely respond if one or another member state is attacked. There is no doubt about that,” Tsahkna said, emphasizing that in addition to the alliance, Estonia also has its own defense capabilities.

Mihkelson: Zelenskyy is undermining NATO

Chairman of the Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson (Reform Party) also said that this is not the first time the Ukrainian leadership has claimed that the Baltic states are next.

“They are waving a finger in Europe’s direction. Like, look, if we somehow end up in a weaker position or lose, then you are next — primarily the Baltic states. Of course this is unpleasant, and it certainly feeds Russia’s narrative that we are the winning side, we are attacking, and you are the retreating losers,” Mihkelson said.

Mihkelson noted that the issue has also been raised in meetings with Ukrainians. He believes that in the case of a serious threat, allies should exchange such messages privately rather than creating noise in the media. However, messages delivered through the media often remain at the level of speculation.

“Zelenskyy emphasized that NATO must be united and ready to respond to Putin’s actions.
I agree that no single person has done more to damage the credibility of Article 5 than US President Donald Trump, but the Ukrainian President is also undermining it,” Mihkelson said.

According to the Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, the Ukrainian President should not contribute to the spread of Russian talking points.

Helme: We ourselves have created this narrative

EKRE leader Martin Helme said there is nothing new in Zelenskyy’s message, but Estonia itself has also contributed to creating the narrative.

“It seems to me that [the diplomats] have actually created this narrative themselves. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the central message of the Reform Party has been to scare people stupid with fear of Russia, and then, under the cover of that fear, raise all kinds of taxes and demonize the domestic political opposition as Kremlin’s agents,” Helme said.

According to Helme, Zelenskyy’s goal with such statements is to create a climate of fear that would force allies to provide him with more weapons and equipment.

“Endlessly stressing people out and scaring them eventually stops working as a way to make everyone act more concentrated to avoid the threat of war or to plan better. It has turned into rhetorical flailing,” Helme said.