Estonian President Alar Karis has urged fellow NATO nations to prepare for a possible rapid and momentous change in Russia's political landscape, as Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine falters.
Any hint of Putin's demise, the president warned, could create a dangerous power vacuum in Russia and imperil the world's largest nuclear arsenal.
Karis also warned NATO that the Russian threat will outlast the end of the Ukraine war, necessitating a "permanent" alliance response in eastern and northern Europe. However, the president said it is not feasible for the West to completely isolate Russia and that—even if it takes decades—it remains important to work with Moscow.
Estonian president Alar Karis at LMC Tallinn
Speaking with Newsweek on the sidelines of the Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn, Estonia, on Sunday, Karis said all EU and NATO states must understand there can be no return to "business as usual" with Russia, regardless of the outcome of President Vladimir Putin's latest invasion of Ukraine.
"It's not only a war in Ukraine, it's our war as well. And we have to stop it over there," Karis told Newsweek. "The most important lesson, probably, is that we can't continue after the war like we continued after the Crimea annexation, like it's going to be business as usual."
But, Karis said, some business will have to continue. EU, NATO, and partner nations are imposing ever-more stringent sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. Moscow is more economically isolated than ever, though it can still count key trading partners outside of the West including China and India.
"Of course, we can't make Russia isolated completely," Karis said. "We have to find ways to communicate with Russia in different ways, and to do some business with Russia. But it takes time, and it might even take decades."
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