Estonia's foreign policy hit the headlines following the president's state visit to Kazakhstan last month. Estonian ambassador Jaap Ora advised the president to leave out key messages of support for Ukraine in a speech due to local sensitivities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said the ambassador had decided to resign from his position.

Speaking at the weekly government press conference on Thursday, Tsahkna reiterated Estonia's foreign policy positions.

"The background is very clear. My message as foreign minister is that Estonia has one foreign policy, centered on standing against Russian aggression, supporting Ukraine, and defending our security interests. On this topic, there can be no room for ambiguity. And Ambassador Jaap Ora made a very correct decision. In this unclear situation, it is important to have clear messages in terms of foreign policy. As for anything concerning the president's actions, those questions should be directed to the president himself," he told the assembled media.

On Wednesday, Alar Karis wrote on his personal social media account that he "can no longer tolerate excessive demands made by fools." The president's office did not clarify exactly who or what he was referring to, but confirmed that it was the president's personal opinion.

ERR asked the prime minister if Karis had explained his message during a Christmas gathering with ministers on Wednesday evening. "No. It didn't come up in any detail yesterday," Michal replied.

When asked to clarify what Estonia's foreign policy is, Michal responded that it is very clear.

"That is, of course, a somewhat unusual question. I think Estonia's foreign policy direction is quite clear. We are a firm supporter of Ukraine, we support Ukraine. We stand against the aggressor, the dictator [Vladimir] Putin. We work to ensure that Russia has as little money as possible, that Russia is held accountable, and that those responsible are brought to justice whenever possible, we are seeking allies for this. Our foreign policy does not change in any way because of this. And I am 100 percent certain that President Alar Karis follows exactly the same foreign policy line and is a strong supporter of Ukraine," Michal said.

Tsahkna added that confusion or unclear stories do not benefit Estonia.

"No one here doubts that the president, the government, the Riigikogu, all overwhelmingly support the core objectives of Estonia's foreign policy. Inevitably, it is Russia's aggression against Ukraine that defines those core goals. It is about defending Estonia's security interests, defending Europe's security, weakening the aggressor, and supporting Ukraine. And we must stick to those same points and principles when meeting with our friends and allies, and especially when visiting countries that may not share the same views because we need to explain our positions to them," Tsahkna said.

"As foreign minister, I absolutely do not accept any other approach. Anyone is free to speak their mind, but I have no doubt that Estonia has one foreign policy, and it is precisely aimed at those goals because any other direction would be directly against the security of the Estonian people and the security of Europe," he added.

"I've been asked why we go to countries like Kazakhstan or why I went to China or why we meet, for example, in Azerbaijan during my own visit. We need to go to these places. The fact that this visit took place as a state visit is already very important. It shows that Estonia is globally active. And I have said before that Estonia may be a small country, but we are not a quiet country — we must stand up for our positions," Tsahkna continued.

As for how successful the Kazakhstan visit will prove to be in the future, time will tell, he said.

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