Laas Leivat
Member of the Estonian parliament, Social Democrat Jaak Allik recently declared that Russia has never attacked Estonia and that repeat such a “fallacy” is stupid and fear-mongering.
In a commentary to the media Allik stressed that Russia had never attacked Estonia alone, but that the conflicts had regional wars as background always involving other countries. Therefore any threats from Moscow, he said, engage other nations and must be viewed from a wider European perspective.
In this respect, Allik insisted, Estonian defence expenditures do not have to be at the promised 2% of Gross Domestic Product, because national defence, will only be a part of a multi-nation defence effort. Even though Allik has for years been a sharp critic of defence expenditures, its ironical that in 1991 he wrote an article in “Päevaleht” entitled “Abolish the ministry of culture! Create a ministry of defence!’. Then in 2001 he said that Estonia’s accession to NATO weakens rather than enhances the country’s security. (Loe rohkem Eesti Elu 19. aprilli paberlehest)
