Eerik-Niiles Kross

Eerik-Niiles Kross (born 8 September 1967) is an Estonian politician, diplomat, former chief of intelligence and entrepreneur. He is a member of parliament (Riigikogu). During the 1980s, Kross was a prominent figure in the anti-Soviet non-violent resistance movement in Soviet-occupied Estonia. After re-independence, in 1991, he joined Estonia's Foreign Ministry. He served as the head of intelligence from 1995 to 2000; and as national security advisor to former President Lennart Meri in 2000 and 2001.

Putin's war of smoke and mirrors (2016)

 * "Putin’s war of smoke and mirrors" (9 April 2016), Politico


 * Russian GDP equals that of Italy – it should not be an existential threat to the West. We must shake ourselves free from the Kremlin’s masterful fiction and confront the truth that we are in an asymmetric war. This is a war that we can win, and it matters that we do. We are sleepwalking through the end of our era of peace. It is time to wake up.

America, welcome to the war (2016)

 * "America, welcome to the war" (2 August 2016), Politico


 * Reagan ended the long period of containment, saying he had a simple policy objective toward the USSR: "We win and they lose." He inspired a vision that eventually broke the Soviet Union, liberated Europe, and gave Russians a chance to live in a plural, representative democracy where they had the right to determine their own future. They didn't choose it.


 * The United States has the luxury of being very far from the front. Unfortunately, information war isn’t geographical — so, America, welcome to the war.

Quotes about Kross

 * When I covered the Chechen war in 1999 I wondered what would happen if I was kidnapped. Would any of my friends come and rescue me? I could imagine only two people bursting into the dungeon. One was Radek Sikorski. The other was Eerik-Niiles Kross.
 * Edward Lucas, as quoted in "Üksikud head mehed" (3 March 2011), by Olavi Ruitlane, Delfi


 * Kross has the most powerful and effective information and contacts network in Estonia.
 * Indrek Tarand, as quoted in "Eesti sõjaköök lööb Gruusias korda majja" (4 September 2008), Eesti Ekspress