In an interview with Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat, published ahead of a two-day visit to Finland beginning Tuesday, Karis argued the European Union should appoint a special representative for Russia to coordinate post-war planning and prevent major powers from deciding key issues over the heads of smaller countries.
Drawing on Finland's Cold War experience, Karis said it was possible to maintain military preparedness while simultaneously engaging in dialogue. "The aggressor must be stopped — and then relations must be reviewed", he said.
His remarks have placed him at odds with Estonia's Foreign Ministry, which holds that no dialogue with Russia, as an aggressor state, is possible. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has also criticized Karis's suggestion that Ukraine may be forced to consider territorial concessions to Moscow.
Karis has pushed back, telling Estonian media that the government's foreign policy line is "short-sighted" and that the ministry "lacks resources" to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex international environment.
Presidential elections are due in Estonia this autumn. Karis, who has held office since October 2021, has not announced whether he will seek a second term, though he acknowledged late last year that doing so was "unlikely".
A poll commissioned by the Foreign Ministry earlier this year found that 55% of respondents believe Ukraine should not make territorial concessions in negotiations with Russia.
The survey also highlighted a divergence in attitudes between ethnic Estonians and the country's Russian-speaking minority: 40% of ethnic Russians in Estonia support ceding territories currently under Russian control.
Ethnic Russians account for roughly 20% of Estonia's 1.3 million population, or approximately 276,000 people.
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Source: PAP