Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid said Trump’s posture toward the Kremlin has been clear and in line with prior administrations.
WASHINGTON—As questions swirl around President Trump’s relationship with the Kremlin, the president of Estonia, a country on Russia’s border, dismissed concerns about American foreign policy. In a meeting with reporters Wednesday, a day after meeting with Trump and the leaders of the two other Baltic states, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid said Trump’s posture toward the Kremlin has been clear and in line with prior administrations.
The three Baltic nations — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — are located just to Russia’s west and are part of the NATO alliance. They were occupied by the Soviet Union after World War II and regained independence as the USSR was dissolved. Due to their history and location, the Baltic nations are uniquely concerned with potential Russian aggression.
Kaljulaid spent much of her conversation with reporters on Wednesday pushing back against the perception that Trump has been unusually soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin and tepid in his commitment to NATO.
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U. S. President Donald Trump, right, speaks as Raimonds Vejonis, Latvia’s president, left, Kersti Kaljulaid, Estonia’s president, second left, and Dalia Grybauskaite, Lithuania’s president, listen during a press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D. C., U. S., on Tuesday, April 3,2018. Trump says the U. S. will expand exports of LNG to Baltic region and will hold a summit with the Baltic presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to discuss ways to expand economic opportunities. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
U. S. President Donald Trump listens during a press conference with Baltic leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D. C., U. S., on Tuesday, April 3,2018. Trump says the U. S. will expand exports of LNG to Baltic region and will hold a summit with the Baltic presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to discuss ways to expand economic opportunities. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Kersti Kaljulaid, Estonia’s president, right, talks to Raimonds Vejonis, Latvia’s president, during a press conference with U. S. President Donald Trump, not pictured, and other Baltic leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D. C., U. S., on Tuesday, April 3,2018. Trump says the U. S. will expand exports of LNG to Baltic region and will hold a summit with the Baltic presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to discuss ways to expand economic opportunities. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
National security adviser Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster attends a press conference between President Donald trump and three Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) in the East Room of the White House on April 3,2018 in Washington, DC.
This year, the three Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) celebrate their 100th year of independence. / AFP PHOTO / Olivier Douliery (Photo credit should read OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images)
U. S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference with Baltic leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D. C., U. S., on Tuesday, April 3,2018. Trump says the U. S. will expand exports of LNG to Baltic region and will hold a summit with the Baltic presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to discuss ways to expand economic opportunities. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Dalia Grybauskaite, Lithuania’s president, left, speaks as U. S. President Donald Trump, listens during a press conference with Baltic leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D. C., U. S., on Tuesday, April 3,2018. Trump says the U. S. will expand exports of LNG to Baltic region and will hold a summit with the Baltic presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to discuss ways to expand economic opportunities. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 03: (L-R) Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite and U. S. President Donald Trump, hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House April 3,2018 in Washington, DC. Marking their 100th anniversary of their post-World War I independence from Russia, the three Baltic heads of state participated in the United States-Baltic Summit at the White House. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Kersti Kaljulaid, Estonia’s president, speaks during a press conference with U. S. President Donald Trump, not pictured, and other Baltic leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D. C., U. S., on Tuesday, April 3,2018. Trump says the U. S. will expand exports of LNG to Baltic region and will hold a summit with the Baltic presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to discuss ways to expand economic opportunities. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
U. S. President Donald Trump listens during a press conference with Baltic leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D. C., U. S., on Tuesday, April 3,2018. Trump says the U. S. will expand exports of LNG to Baltic region and will hold a summit with the Baltic presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to discuss ways to expand economic opportunities. Photographer: Chris Kleponis/Pool via Bloomberg
Raimonds Vejonis, Latvia’s president, speaks during a press conference with U. S. President Donald Trump, not pictured, and other Baltic leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D. C., U. S., on Tuesday, April 3,2018. Trump says the U. S. will expand exports of LNG to Baltic region and will hold a summit with the Baltic presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to discuss ways to expand economic opportunities. Photographer: Chris Kleponis/Pool via Bloomberg
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 03: White House Chief of Staff John Kelly attends a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House April 3,2018 in Washington, DC. Marking their 100th anniversary of their post-World War I independence from Russia, Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite participated in the United States-Baltic Summit with U. S. President Donald Trump at the White House. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 03: (L-R) Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite and U. S. President Donald Trump participate in a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House April 3,2018 in Washington, DC. Marking their 100th anniversary of their post-World War I independence from Russia, the three Baltic heads of state participated in the United States-Baltic Summit at the White House. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
U. S. President Donald Trump, left, exits after a press conference with Baltic leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D. C., U. S., on Tuesday, April 3,2018. Trump says the U. S. will expand exports of LNG to Baltic region and will hold a summit with the Baltic presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to discuss ways to expand economic opportunities. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
US President Donald Trump looks on during a joint press conference with President Raimonds Vejonis of Latvia, President Kersti Kaljulaid of Estonia and President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania in the East Room of the White House on April 3,2018 in Washington, DC.
This year, the three Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) celebrate their 100th year of independence. / AFP PHOTO / Olivier Douliery (Photo credit should read OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images)
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“We’ve seen solid foreign policy. As we hoped it could be, it is,” Kaljulaid said of the Trump administration.
Questions about Trump’s foreign policy began when he seemed reluctant to commit to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which stipulates that an attack on one member of the alliance will be treated as an attack on them all. Trump finally announced his support for Article 5 last June after generating speculation with speeches criticizing other NATO nations for not meeting the alliance’s guideline of contributing 2 percent of their economic output to defense spending.
When asked if she is concerned about Trump’s position on NATO, Kaljulaid cited Trump’s engagement with the Baltic nations as clear evidence he’s committed to supporting Western allies against potential threats from Russia.
