WARSAW, Poland—Maintaining power in Russia was and is a key motivator for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the war against Ukraine, according to the defense minister of Estonia. Russia’s war against Ukraine is part of Putin’s plan to address Russia’s “domestic issues,” Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur told The Daily Signal at the Warsaw Security Forum. If the war does end between Ukraine and Russia, NATO counties—of which Estonia is one—cannot assume Russia would never attack them, the defense minister said. Increased military production and the creation of regional plans that can be executed quickly to protect NATO members are critical. In short, the Estonian defense minister said, NATO needs to ensure it has “credible deterrence” against Russia.