Mait Malmsten joins Defence League, hoping to be useful

Actor Mait Malmsten joined the Kaitseliit, Estonia’s Defence League, this autumn, saying he wanted to be useful if circumstances changed, ERR reported.

Speaking on the programme “Hommik Anuga,” Malmsten said people in theatre rarely discuss membership, but he had discovered that several of his colleagues were already in the organisation. He is a member of the Tallinn Academic Company.

Actor Tõnn Lamp, a member since 2022, said the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine prompted him to join. He did so together with his wife, Johanna. Musician Valter Soosalu joined in early 2026; he said the events of 2022 had also spurred him to act, though it took him longer to make the decision.

Soosalu said joining was a way to affirm that Estonia and its people mattered to him. He criticised the idea of buying homes abroad as an escape plan, saying it could amount to giving the country away and questioning its value.

Soosalu said the basic soldier-skills course was manageable, although physical fitness was assessed. He recalled failing the NATO test by one sit-up, then completing it the following week. Lamp described membership as lifelong learning that helped him appreciate things often taken for granted in everyday life.