Dear people of Estonia,
Today, we celebrate Victory Day, the 105th anniversary of the successful Battle of Võnnu. We also commemorate all those who fell in the fight for our freedom and have found their final resting place in Garnison Cemetery or elsewhere.
In 1993, President Lennart Meri ordered that a Victory Day parade to be held in a different Estonian city each year. Today, we have returned to Narva again. This is the place where the beginning and the end of the war symbolically meet: here, under Narva, the first battles broke out in 1918, and here, in 1919, the last attempts of the Red Army to invade failed.
We have had to fight for our independence several times. For many of us, it became painfully clear how much we pay for freedom. It also became clear that freedom is not merely a gift fallen from heaven. You have to work consistently and tirelessly to maintain it.
Unfortunately, history sometimes repeats its darker chapters as a reminder and makes us ask: what kind of terrible country attacks another state? What can we do to end this horrible situation and avoid it repeating again in the future?
The future is not predetermined, but we must do our utmost to ensure that the moments of decision-making do not slip through our fingers like sand. Ukraine will not be helped by a lukewarm truce, but by a victory. We need to help Ukraine withstand this difficult year.
Situation on the front never feels good, but for today's celebration, it's fitting to remember how quickly things can change. Our War of Independence did not start well: the first mobilisation failed, with only one in ten showing up. The enemy, who was not inconceivably large at the time, seemed invincible. It seems unbelievable that just a few months later, the territory of the Estonian state had been cleared of invaders. It was a great victory, where we faced better-equipped and more professional troops.
We are fortunate to live in a country that is safe and secure in the midst of general uncertainty. We have strong friends and allies. We work hard every day to keep it that way. Estonians are still willing, and they still know how to stand up for their country. We still remember the feeling of standing side by side in the 1980s; it has become a part of us.
Thank you to all of you who contribute to the defence of the Estonian state: either as a volunteer, reservist, or active duty personnel. I would like to thank the employers and family members, whose support is invaluable.
President Meri said that the Republic of Estonia is everywhere where Estonian citizens live. By working towards a common goal, we are invincible.
Dear Estonian people, I wish everyone a happy Victory Day and a Happy Midsummer Day!
The speech was held in Estonian.
