Tomas Ilves

So everyone said, oh, yeah, great.

We don't have to spend any money on defense anymore.

And besides, we'll make a lot of money with Russia.

But in fact, it's not only spending money on defense.

It's the failure of Europe to keep up with the technological revolution.

Well, I think it's one that faces everyone.

Maybe it faces us more than others.

Living in a liberal democratic society with freedom of speech and all the other fundamental rights and freedoms,

How do you deal with these kinds of attacks that are ongoing?

And that's a very different response from the way you can do it in an authoritarian country.

In Estonia, especially because we have a Russian population that is, or Russian-speaking population that, that's even a bad term because everybody speak Russian here, but,

Anyway, a post-Soviet population that is overwhelmingly loyal to this country, but we always find strange people who are willing to undertake tasks and do something.

And we want to remain one of the most liberal countries in Europe, which we remain and continue to be.

And at the same time, you have to balance that against national security.

I mean, that's a problem that all democracies face.

but it is more acute here because of the, I mean, our proximity to Russia.

You're on the front line.

And so that's what we deal with so far.

We've done rather well, but, you know, it's an ongoing challenge.

Thomas Hilvers, thank you very much for talking to us.