Mihkelson: Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine will not end with ordinary negotiations
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Marko Mihkelson said at the meeting with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Türkiye that Russia’s objectives in its war of aggression against Ukraine had not changed, and that the war could not be ended with ordinary negotiations.
According to Mihkelson, the global security situation is turbulent, and the primary geopolitical challenge is Russia’s ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine. “It has been our understanding for a long time, and it still is today, that the war initiated by Russia is much more than just a regional conflict. The issue is not Crimea, Donbas, or some other region of Ukraine, but Russia’s wish to change the world order. Therefore, this war cannot end through ordinary negotiations,” he said.
According to Mihkelson, Russia has no desire to end military activities, and even the efforts of the United States have not stopped Russia for a single day. “Now is the decisive moment when the pressure on Russia must be increased – negotiations will only be on the table if Russia is pressured into this,” he said. “We know what it means to lose independence. And we also know that not every kind of peace is just or lasting.”
Speaking of the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara at the beginning of July, Mihkelson said that it was important for Estonia to achieve the best possible results at the summit through a strong and united message. “It is crucial that the summit demonstrated very strong unity among the Allies: that Article 5 is firm and no one can divide us. It is also important how quickly the defence spending of the Allies reaches the desired level,” he said.
Mihkelson thanked Türkiye for strengthening collective defence and for participating in the Baltic air policing mission. Issues of defence cooperation between Estonia and Türkiye, including the state of defence procurements and collaboration between defence industry companies, were also addressed at the meeting. The discussions also covered parliamentary cooperation, the development of trade, cultural relations and tourism, the situation in the Middle East, and developments in Armenia.
In addition to Mihkelson, members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Eerik-Niiles Kross and Luisa Värk also attended the meeting.
The delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Türkiye is in Tallinn to attend the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which takes place today and tomorrow. The security situation and changes in the international order, as well as further support for Ukraine and preparations for the NATO Summit will be discussed at the meeting. The delegations will also visit the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, where they will discuss the developments in the security situation, and cybersecurity company CybExer Technologies.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
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