“In the context of growing tensions in the Middle East, Estonia should maintain good allied relations with the United States, while emphasizing the need for a rule-based world order”, – says Marko Mihkelson, deputy chairman of the Estonian Riigikogu’s parliamentary committee on foreign affairs. He expressed such an assessment in the transmission of Esimene Stuudio on ETV, writes err.ee.
The representative of the opposition Reform Party also mentioned the words of the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings – that the US assassination of Iranian general Kassem Soleimani in Baghdad clearly violates international humanitarian law. Answering the question of whether the US ally can support American politics in all its manifestations, while demanding strict observance of international law, Mihkelson said that this is possible. However, in his opinion, US President Donald Trump does not have a concrete plan for the Middle East, and Iran and Russia have most successfully filled the growing vacuum in the region over the past ten years.
The continuation of Iran’s nuclear program, according to the European MP from Estonia Urmas Paet, is a serious problem for other states both in the Middle East and in the world. In addition, anti-American and anti-Western sentiments are prevailing in the region, and this, according to Paet, is fraught with new attacks.
“Another aspect is that European countries and the United States will not be able to continue their programs aimed at stabilizing the situation and providing assistance, as the Iraqi parliament announced that American troops should leave the country. Investments that Western countries have made in recent years to stabilize will now be lost”, – adds the European MP.
According to Urmas Paet, there will be no new war in the Middle East, but conflicts in Iraq will continue and may become more intense. Therefore, he insists, it is very important that the United States and European countries take a unified position on what to do next.
“If Iran receives nuclear weapons, it will create a serious threat in the world and will affect other countries in the region that also want to acquire them, for example, Saudi Arabia, Egypt. Western countries can influence this together, but, unfortunately, it is again connected with sanctions: so that it would not be so easy for Iran to develop its nuclear program and that it would be difficult to obtain technologies or materials”, – says Urmas Paet.