"I'm not going to hold back." Estonian PM responds to Pentagon's request not to call Putin a rat

Pentagon representative Elbridge Colby cited Michal's statement, in which he compared Putin to a cornered rat, as an example of "unsuccessful rhetoric."

The Estonian Prime Minister stated that attempting to appease dictators only leads to humiliation, and real threats should be discussed openly, not silenced.

"I'm not going to hold back. Putin is a dictator who kills women and children. And he will continue to do so until he is forced to change course," said Kristen Michal.

He characterized the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine as terrorism.

The Prime Minister also cautiously expressed dissatisfaction with the current US foreign policy course. According to him, he regularly faces criticism from voters for insufficient decisiveness, while Estonia's allies from the world's most powerful nation urge him to refrain from harsh statements.

Michal reminded that Estonia collectively spends almost 7% of its GDP on NATO needs and participates in the defense of the alliance's eastern flank. In October, the country announced plans to build 150 bunkers on the border with Russia as part of the creation of the Baltic Defense Line.

Over the past year, Estonia has also signed contracts for the purchase of nine American HIMARS multiple rocket launcher systems with M57 missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers, as well as nine South Korean Chunmoo missile systems with a similar range. In addition, the country plans to permanently deploy its most combat-ready units closer to the eastern border and is preparing for "active defense" in the event of a Russian invasion.

Earlier, Tallinn repeatedly faced threats from pro-Kremlin internet trolls, who declared the possibility of creating a so-called "people's republic" in the eastern Ida-Virumaa county, where ethnic Russians constitute the majority of the population. NATO intelligence services have also warned about possible hybrid operations by the Kremlin or a direct Russian military attack on Estonia.

Vladimir Putin, for his part, regularly states that he allegedly does not want war with Europe but is ready to repel it if necessary. At the recent "Russia-Africa" summit, he named the situation in the Baltic Sea as similar to that in the Persian Gulf among possible scenarios. "We don't want this, but we will respond to any challenge," the Russian president declared.

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