“As some of Ukraine’s strongest supporters, the Nordic and Baltic countries remain convinced that, as long as Russia continues its aggression, the focus must remain on increasing pressure on the aggressor and providing Ukraine with comprehensive support ahead of the coming winter,” Tsahkna said.
“The talks in Abu Dhabi resulted in an agreement on an exchange of prisoners of war, which will hopefully be carried out soon. However, the meeting did not bring a breakthrough on peace, and the countries of our region remain convinced that achieving a just and lasting peace requires the steps to be taken in the right order. First and foremost, Russia must agree to a ceasefire, which Ukraine has proposed on numerous occasions. Discussions about broader European security divert attention from what matters most: the need to force Russia to stop its attacks on Ukraine and the killing of civilians. As long as Russia continues its military operations, it is clear that Putin’s objectives have not changed,” Tsahkna said.
The foreign minister said that the negotiations must not turn into a process through which Russia gains something it has been unable to achieve on the battlefield. “Also, the idea of discussing the European security architecture is unacceptable,” Tsahkna added.
The foreign ministers also discussed the security situation in our region in light of airspace violations affecting several countries this week.
“Several countries in our region faced airspace violations this week in connection with Ukraine’s airstrikes against targets in Russia, and at today’s meeting the countries briefed one another on what had happened,” Tsahkna said. “I informed my colleagues of the preliminary information provided by the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, according to which the swarm of drones seen yesterday in the Gulf of Finland near a Russian warship had originated from Russian airspace.”
“We all agree that the root cause of these incidents is Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which makes it necessary for Ukraine to strike Russian military targets. At the same time, I reiterated that Estonia will never allow its territory to be used for military operations by other countries, and the same applies to all the other countries in our region,” Tsahkna underlined.
According to the foreign minister, the latest drone incidents in the region have confirmed that air surveillance and air defence systems are functioning and that countries have a continuous overview of what is happening along their borders and on their territory. NATO Allies are taking decisive action to defend Allied territory in accordance with agreed plans.
