Changing the Estonian Constitution would be a serious mistake. Abolishing the President's role as Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces and giving the role to the Minister of Defense is dangerous. This change would not serve the civilian control over the Estonian Defence Forces, but would give the MOD officials unlimited power over the Estonian Defence Forces and would politicize the officers' and NCO corps.
Estonia should be ready to defend herself with a well-trained reserve-based army inside the NATO framework. The weak point of Estonian NATO membership is the lack of any military plans to defend the Baltics, which means that albeit help will eventually come, Estonia would be occupied without credible self-defence. He is referring to the 2003 RAND research, The Baltic States and NATO Membership.
Russia is the most serious geopolitical factor for Estonian security which will not be forgotten in defence planning. He argues that Estonia should plan for the worst-case scenario, and this is the reason for the rise in the Estonian reserve component up to 40,000 reservists.
The Estonian MOD has done nothing to develop the credible self-defence capability and is focusing only on international missions.
The reaction from the Estonian society and government circles is dualistic in nature. On the one hand, Lt. Gen Johannes Kert thinks that Leo Kunnas is one of the very few people in Estonia who has analytical and very clear vision of the Estonian defence issues. Estonian MOD officials are strongly against Kunnas' views.
Education
Leo Kunnas has studied history, philosophy and politics in the following universities:
"Põhiseaduslik korratus ilma kaitseväe juhatajata" - Postimees 03.10.2007
"NATO nõrgeneb - mida teha?" - Eesti Päevaleht 28.11.07
"Eesti 2007: Pyrrhose võit" - Eesti Päevaleht 31.12.07
"Lõiv õhukesele riigile" - Eesti Päevaleht 29.01.08
"35 viga iseseisva kaitsevõime ülesehitamisel" - Eesti Ekspress 07.02.2008
"Eesti: raua ja verega sündinud riik" - Eesti Päevaleht 21.02.08
"Läti saatuslik valik" - "Eesti Päevaleht" 06.03.2008
"Eesti kui A-grupi potensiaalne konfliktikolle" - "Eesti Päevaleht" 08.04.2008.
"Riigikaitse juriidiline rägastik" - "Eesti Päevaleht" 20.04.2008.
"Müüt rahuaja kaitseväest" - "Eesti Päevaleht" 22.04.2008.
"Kaitsekulutuste suurendamine: mille arvelt?" - "Eesti Päevaleht" 28.07.2008.
"Leo Kunnas: eestlased peavad oma riiki ise kaitsma." - "Postimees" 14.08.2008.
Interesting facts
At the age of 16, Leo Kunnas was sentenced to Soviet prison for attempted border crossing and possession of firearms. One of the prosecutors was Ain Seppik, a former Communist and current Estonian top politician. Kunnas looks back at the violent prison years in his novel, The World of the Eternal Light, which won the Looming annual award 1991. His novel "Sõdurjumala teener" earned the second place award at the Estonian novel competition of 2000. In 2007 the Journalists Association Estonia announced his article "Eesti 2007: Phyrrose võit" as the best opinion article of the year.
Family
His wife Kaja Kunnas is a journalist. Leo Kunnas has three children.
