Reuters news agency reported on Friday, citing several anonymous sources, that the US had asked the Baltic states to tone down their rhetoric on Russia and reduce their emphasis on the threat posed by Russia in public statements 

Michal said no requests have reached him.

"No such complaints have come directly to me. The last time we were together with Trump was in Ankara in the summer at the NATO summit, and the message from the Americans has rather been that European countries must take their own defense against the Russian threat seriously and put more money into defense, and Estonia is certainly doing that. We are rather a strong contributor to security and a security partner for the United States," he told ERR on Friday.

Estonia will continue to raise awareness about Russia's aggression and its crimes in Ukraine, the prime minister said.

"Even before Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine began, we warned about the plans and wishes of Russian dictator Putin. And we have continued to do so, and I will continue to do the same. I do not intend to hold back, because pleasing dictators or remaining silent is certainly not the solution. Rather, we must continue the pressure and support Ukraine – that is the only way to force Putin to change his objectives," Michal told ERR.

"Ahead of this winter, on Putin's orders, electricity infrastructure and heating infrastructure are currently being destroyed and bombed. Now the Russians have targeted water supplies and sewage systems. They are killing women and children. What words can European leaders even use to describe this? All words are too mild for this. The reason Putin is currently being portrayed as cornered is that there is no real progress on the battlefield, and therefore Putin is carrying out various hybrid attacks and essentially behaving like a terrorist. We certainly cannot, and I certainly do not intend to, soften my tone or remain silent about Russia," he continued.

"Who else, if not Estonia's leaders – the prime minister in public appearances or private conversations, or Estonian defense and security officials in various appearances or discussions – should directly describe what Russia is doing? As John McCain once said when he was a US presidential candidate, Russia is a gas station pretending to be a country, and today it is led by a dictator who kills women and children. And in my opinion, all words are indeed too mild to describe this," Michal added.

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