Estonian PM says US move to divide Europe in two 'unfortunate'

TALLINN - The United States' move to divide Europe into two in terms of access to artificial intelligence is, according to Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, unfortunate and this will certainly be communicated to the US.

"Someone in the US administration decided to divide Europe into two, and NATO's biggest contributors, such as Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, are all on list number 2. This is certainly neither reasonable nor acceptable from the European perspective, and we will definitely inform the outgoing US administration of this through both foreign channels and economic channels," Michal said at the government's press briefing on Thursday.

"Estonia, like the entire region here, and also Poland, for example, have very good relations with the United States, including in security matters and security information exchange," Michal emphasized, adding that such a division is, in his opinion, inappropriate and unfortunate.

According to Michal, officials are already exchanging information on the subject.

"The foreign minister is also working on this, and I have also spoken with the European Commission's commissioner responsible for this area. I believe that this information will also be forwarded by the European Commission," the premier added.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said earlier on Thursday that the decision by the outgoing US administration to restrict access to advanced artificial intelligence chip exports for selected EU member states and NATO allies is completely ungrounded, thoughtless, and harmful, not just for the countries moved to the so-called second category but also for the United States.

"It is completely unacceptable that the administration of President Joe Biden has decided to restrict the access of a considerable number of EU member states and NATO allies, including Estonia, to AI technologies," Tsahkna said in a statement. "This decision has a direct impact on the ongoing or planned development activities of Estonia and other EU member states for creating a secure and reliable AI and its applications."

Tsahkna said that Estonia has been a global leader in implementing innovative solutions throughout its society, and it has shared its expertise and experience globally.

"When it comes to developing AI, it is clear that countries must expand their cooperation instead of imposing restrictions on supplying technology to allies," the Estonian minister said.

"The EU functions as a common market, and in research and development, too, it is easier for us to be united and join the United States in countering untrustworthy technologies and global forces," he said.

"Estonia is in touch with US authorities and the European Commission to ensure that this error is rectified as soon as possible," the minister added.