Estonian President: "I know Russians who no longer want to speak Russian due to the war in Ukraine"

Estonian President Alar Karis stated in a recent interview with ETV+ that he does not see any reason to fight against the Russian language amid the events in Ukraine.

Responding to the host's remark that after the onset of the Ukrainian events, statements have been made that the country should learn less Russian and pay more attention to other languages, Karis expressed his disagreement with this opinion.

"Language is a tool. I do not see any reason to fight against languages. Russian is, in itself, a cultural language. There is no reason to fight against languages, just as there is no reason to fight against Russian literature," the President stated.

Karis highlighted that the attitude towards the Russian language is changing. "I know Russians who, due to the war in Ukraine, no longer want to speak Russian. Ukrainians who used to speak Russian are now refusing to use it. But this is a transient phenomenon," emphasized Alar Karis.