Kaja Kallas, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, publicly compared the global press freedom rankings of Estonia and the United States during the Munich Security Conference. Her remarks, delivered on February 15, 2026, came as a rebuttal to criticisms of Europe voiced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"I come from a country that ranks among the global leaders in freedom of speech. To hear reproaches from a nation positioned significantly lower in those same rankings is, to put it mildly, curious," Kallas stated during a panel discussion.

Video of the speech was released by the conference organizers.

The Numbers Behind the Statement
The comparison cited by Kallas is based on data from Reporters Without Borders (RSF). According to their 2024 Press Freedom Index:

Country    Rank    Score (out of 100)

• Estonia    6th    88.5
• United States    55th    67.9

Politicians frequently rely on the RSF index because it is updated regularly and provides comparable longitudinal data. In this instance, the trend is telling: the U.S. position has gradually declined over the past five years, while Estonia has consistently maintained its place in the top ten.

Following the stir caused by her comments, Kallas clarified her stance in a follow-up statement:

"The EU and the U.S. remain closely interconnected allies."

Roots of the Dispute
The friction began earlier at the conference when Rubio claimed that pressure on freedom of opinion is intensifying in Europe through the regulation of digital platforms. When the moderator asked if this exchange reflected a deeper political rift between Brussels and Washington, Kallas responded briefly:

"We remain strategic partners, even when we disagree."

Regional Context and Internal Challenges
Regional data confirms the strong standing of the Baltic states in media freedom:

• Lithuania: 7th place
• Latvia: 16th place

However, domestic trust in the media presents a more complex picture. Research indicates a profound divide along linguistic lines, with a significant portion of the Russian-speaking audience reporting a lack of trust in Estonian-language media.

Overall trust in the press has dipped slightly in recent years, falling from approximately 63% in 2021 to around 61% in 2024.

Industry experts frequently highlight this audience polarization as a primary risk to the media ecosystem, despite high international rankings. At the time of publication, U.S. State Department representatives had not commented directly on Kallas's remarks. However, Rubio has previously emphasized:

"Freedom of speech must remain a universal value without exceptions."