Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in an interview that Russian troops attempting to breach the Estonian border without insignia would be met by force.
Archived version: https://archive.is/20251225205454/https://www.kyivpost.com/post/66868
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
This is the way to communicate to Russia.
Yes, but communication they actually respond to is about actually shooting the little green men when they appear.
Sure, but the powers in Tallinn have to make this statement first to head off a diplomatic crisis. If Estonia had just started shooting Russians it would have been a much harder position diplomatically. There’s no room for Russia to claim “we accidentally stepped on your territory” because Estonia has now made the statement publicly what the consequences for Russian soldiers is that do that. Any Russian soldiers that do that (or their commanders) now have a full understanding they’ll be shot.
When the first shooting actually occurs, Russia can’t present any kind of credible complaint about “you shot our soldiers that were just lost!”. That would show incompetence on the part of Russian commanders, which is something Russian’s are even more loathed to admit.
That goes without saying. My intention was to say that threats are not enough. Russians will test them and if they are not acted upon they will take that as a sign of weakness and they will do it again and again and again.
I don’t think Estonia will have empty “red lines” like Russia does.