Kristjan Prikk, Estonia’s ambassador to the United States, made a return visit to the Bay Area on December 7 and 8.
The highlight of the trip was a public panel at Stanford University, “Russia’s War in Ukraine: What’s at stake and what we should do about it” with Ambassador Prikk and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), moderated by former Deputy Secretary General of NATO Rose Gottemoeller (Center for International Security and Cooperation).
The speakers emphasized that Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine is seriously impacting European and global security. Ambassador Prikk compared this pivotal moment in 2022 to 1939 for Estonia. If Putin is not stopped now, he said, it could forestall a long period of future instability worldwide. He noted the importance of the Western response, which will become a benchmark for countries with territorial “aspirations beyond their borders” and the means to wage war on their neighbors.
Panelists commented positively on the actions of both the current and previous U.S. administrations, respectively, in building both a coalition of like-minded countries and robust support for Ukraine among the American people, and in increasing pressure among NATO countries to fulfill their NATO funding obligations.
The panelists also noted the opportunity for Ukraine to emerge from the conflict politically united and to fulfill opportunities for economic development that were not achieved during the post-Soviet era. Ukraine’s candidate status with the European Union, a stronger national identity, and an emerging European identity should help strengthen the country in the future. Regarding the war’s impact on Estonia, the speakers noted that it has had a positive influence on the issue of internal integration of Russian speakers. This is taking place even as 60,000 Ukrainian refugees, many of whom speak Russian as their first language, now make up 5 percent of the country’s total population.
At Stanford, Ambassador Prikk and representatives from the Consulate General of Estonia in San Francisco also met with representatives from Stanford Global Studies, the Freeman Spogli Institute, and the Center for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies to discuss Baltic internship programs and other initiatives. The delegation also visited Google’s new campus in Mountain View, and were briefed on the company’s support for Ukraine.
From the Bay Area, Ambassador Prikk continued his west coast trip in Los Angeles.
Photo: courtesy of Consulate General of Estonia in SF
Linnea Bartling
(with thanks to Lisa Trei)
