Media group owner: President's critics are often more vain than competent
Discussing criticism of President Alar Karis, Ekspress Grupp owner Hans H. Luik notes Europe cannot leave the monopoly of negotiating with Vladimir Putin to Donald Trump.
"What did he [Alar Karis] say? He is talking about the end of the war, which is not in sight. I think the issue is whether negotiating with the Kremlin maniac on behalf of the Western coalition should be left to Trump. And to his negotiator, real estate businessman Steve Witkoff, who sometimes does not understand at all what he has agreed to. Should Trump have a monopoly on representing the West? I do not think so. And I also think that we must negotiate if possible. The fact that we are not talking leads nowhere," Luik said.
At the same time, Luik added that he could not say how smart it was for Karis to tell European allies right now that they made a mistake at the beginning of the war.
"We must understand when our honorable ministers, including [Foreign Minister] Margus Tsahkna and [Minister of Defense] Hanno Pevkur, are vain and when they are competent. To start saying that 'this is ruled out' and 'I know what needs to be done with Putin' — it is not apparent that we know. To whip up a public frenzy to show off oneself and one's party, I do not believe that is right coming from the foreign minister. True, he was also insulted when something was said about the competence of our foreign service. Such things should remain private."
Luik recalled that speaking of Tsahkna and defense capability, his party Eesti 200 blocked the tripartite coalition from collecting a defense tax from banks.
"Banks made outrageous profits in 2023 and even more outrageous ones in 2024, when their profits doubled. Instead of a special tax on banks, this was imposed on all of us who do not have double profits, on the entire nation," Luik noted.
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Editor: Argo Ideon
Source: ERR "Ringvaade"
