“The decision taken by Russian President Vladimir Putin today to recognise the separatist so-called people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine is a grave violation of international law. It is also a clear violation of the terms of the Minsk agreements and a unilateral termination of the agreement. We will discuss this escalation immediately with our Allies and partners, and our position is that an immediate international assessment of Russia’s actions is needed and sanctions must be implemented,” Foreign Minister Liimets said.
Liimets stressed that the continued build-up of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders and continued violations of international law threatened the security of all of Europe. “Our message is clear: we will make no concessions in the security principles of Europe and together with our EU partners we are prepared to respond quickly to Russia’s aggression with the most extensive sanctions so far,” she said. The foreign minister added that the sanctions should be extended to Belarus, if it is involved in these actions.
Liimets reaffirmed Estonia’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Continued support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity was also reaffirmed by EU foreign ministers in the Council meeting and when meeting Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. “It is crucial to support Ukraine’s European ambitions in the EU and bilaterally. I am glad that at the meeting with my Ukrainian colleague, we were able to have an immediate conversation about their most urgent needs that need our response. On the EU level, we are looking for additional ways to support Ukraine’s economy, and we must also ensure it has improved access to the EU market and support from member states in connecting Ukraine’s power networks with Europe,” Liimets said.
The foreign minister noted that Estonia would increase humanitarian aid to Ukraine and soon a shipment in cooperation with the Rescue Board is dispatched to establish a camp to offer temporary shelter in case of a potential emergency. A mobile field hospital produced in Estonia was delivered recently in cooperation with Germany to increase Ukraine’s defence capabilities. Liimets added that we were prepared to share our expertise in strategic communication and cyber defence.
Addressing security topics, the foreign minister said the EU sanctions against Belarus needed to be updated to add additional goods that the Lukashenko regime continues to profit from. “A values-based foreign policy must be credible and the EU’s restrictive measures must strengthen our security. I called on member states to revise the sanctions imposed against Belarus to make sure they are effective and serve their purpose,” Liimets said. Many member states supported Estonia’s proposal and work will continue on working out the technical details.
The agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council also included Bosnia and Herzegovina and climate diplomacy. Under current affairs, the ministers discussed the situation in Mali and at noon, a meeting of the EU and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf was held. The day concluded with a cyber exercise organised by France, one of the most important actions of the French Presidency to reinforce the EU’s cyber security and diplomacy.