Baltic States – CIS, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Legislation, USA

The discussion was organized in relation to a report by former committee chairman Elmar Brok on the same topic. Those participating in the discussion included Anthony Gardner, former U.S. ambassador to the European Union, as well as experts of the German Marshall Fund think tank and the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Kelam, who is a member of the European People's Party (EPP), in his statement emphasized that regardless of the different style of the new U.S. president and the initiatives unexpected for many, the main thing cannot be forgotten -- the U.S. and EU have been and still are strategic allies and there is no alternative to that unique allied relationship. According to Kelam, tactical difference are nothing new or unusual -- they have been there in the history of transatlantic relations for decades, even in situations more acute than right now.

"Concerning in the current situation is rather the circumstance that numerous politicians and commentators are mixing up tactical contradictions and the fundamental principles of allied relations and tend to see an enemy rather than a natural ally in the U.S. led by Trump," Kelam said.

He responded to the invitation expressed in the presentation of Jeremy Shapiro from the European Council on Foreign Relations, according to which the countries of the EU in order to influence the behavior of the U.S. should attempt establishing tactical cooperation with third countries like China or even Russia. "This kind of confusion in the field of main guiding marks is truly dangerous, if cooperation with undemocratic regimes is considered to put the U.S. president in his place. This is not only misleading, but extremely irresponsible and destructive of the cooperation of main allies," Kelam said.

He cited NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, according to whom all NATO members agree on significant problems and who emphasized that the U.S. is commited to strengthening NATO not only in words but in actions. According to Stoltenberg, the U.S. has recently increased its defense contribution in Europe in all fields and tripled the funding of Europe's deterrence initiative, the aim of which is to strengthen the status of NATO members endangered by Russia in Eastern Europe.

"In the current unstable international situation, which authoritarian and extreme regimes are taking advantage of in their interests and for weakening democratic countries, the primary need is to focus on topics that connect us," Kelam said.

According to the Estonian MEP, one of the most urgent fields of cooperation in transatlantic relations is the coordination and harmonization of sanctions on persons who are responsible for aggression, the violation of international norms of behavior, suppressing the civic society, and money laundering. "It is high time for EU countries to follow the Magnitsky type lists adopted in the U.S. a long time ago, which Washington recently strengthened and which are aimed not at regular people but the political and economic elites directly connected with crime. This kind of joint activity would actually change the current dreary international situation and instead of fruitless criticism would help us focus on positive actions," Kelam said.