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While in New York for the 80th Session of the General Assembly, Estonia’s foreign minister sat down with The Delegates Lounge podcast at Estonia's Mission to the United Nations. He had recently addressed an emergency session of the UN Security Council on the threats of Russia's air incursions into NATO airspace.

Our conversation examines what deterrence looks like when Moscow tests the line. From NATO's Baltic Sentry and Eastern Sentry Operations to Article 4 consultations, we delve into the developments set in motion by the Kremlin's recent incursions into NATO airspace on the eve of the gathering of more than 150 heads of state and government for the General Assembly in New York.

The conversation goes beyond immediate threats to NATO countries to the problem of paying for the long war that Russia is waging on Ukraine. Estonia makes the case for using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, paired with tighter sanctions that strike at Russia’s war economy. The conversation also confronts the challenges facing the United Nations itself, as the organization struggles with a fiscal crisis and uncertainty over its sense of purpose.

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Speakers:

J. Alex Tarquinio (host). @alextarquinio of delegateslounge on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia (guest). @Tsahkna of @MFAestonia on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

References:

Alex, our podcast host, wrote the United Nations General Assembly curtain raiser for Foreign Policy. Here's a free gift link to the article.