Estonian Foreign Minister: If little green men cross our border, we will shoot them

The Estonian military will open fire if the so-called green men cross the country's border. This was stated in an interview with Onet Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhkna said.

The head of Estonian diplomacy said that Russia cannot have any influence on the European security architecture, because this architecture was created primarily against Russia.

"This is the only aggressive country in our region. And when we talk about security, we are talking not only about Ukraine, but also about the Baltic States, Poland and the whole of Eastern Europe, which was part of the NATO enlargement process," Tsakhkna explained.

He emphasized that the Russian dictator To Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted under any circumstances, recalling Russia's war against Georgia in 2008.

"The Western response to this aggression was weak, and as a result, 20% of Georgia's territory is still occupied by Russia. Then came 2014 and the occupation of Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Then the Minsk agreements were signed, but Russia continued its aggression anyway," said the Estonian Foreign Minister.

The Minister reminded that Russia is conducting hybrid attacks across Europe. On September 19, Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace, and earlier drones flew into Poland. Tsakhkna assured that Estonia would shoot down Russian planes if similar situations occur in the future.

"If we see that Russian fighters pose a threat to our security, we will shoot them down. This is a red line, and Putin must remember this. He must understand that this is NATO territory, and he cannot commit such acts of aggression with impunity. We agree with Poland on this issue," he emphasized.

The media outlet recalled that in October, so-called "little green men" – Russian soldiers who acted without official military insignia – were spotted on the Russian side of the Estonian border.

The Estonian Foreign Minister assured that it was not a serious incident, but the border crossing was closed as a precautionary measure.

"This is not the first time we have seen them. We are constantly monitoring them. For example, we have many different reports from Narva, a border town. I'll be blunt: if the little green men ever cross our border, we will shoot them. These will be the consequences, there is no discussion. If Russia is not sure whether we will really react, it can test us," he said.

• In November, the Estonian parliament did not support a bill to close the border with Russia due to the deteriorating security situation. Most MPs voted against it.
• On November 22, Tsakhkna noted that the Russian military, which had previously been stationed near the Estonian border, had been deployed, were sent to Ukraine after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
• On December 18, it was reported that three Russian border guards crossed the Estonian border.