The visit is dedicated to discussing the reform aspirations in Ukraine, including leadership in the defence sector and defence procurements, parliamentary scrutiny and corruption prevention. Other topics include strategic and operational lessons of the war, military innovations, and development of Ukraine’s defence industry, including opportunities for cooperation with NATO countries. Representatives of Ukrainian armed forces and defence industry will also take part in the discussions.

The delegation of the UNIC will discuss the protection of the critical infrastructure and enhancing societal resilience with the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Mykola Kalashnyk. The delegation will also meet the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Oleksandr Mischenko and the Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine for European Integration Anatolii Kutsevol.

The delegation headed by Mihkelson includes the Vice-Presidents of the NATO PA Alberto Losacco and Mikko Savola, as well as members of the UNIC from the parliaments of Czechia, Italy, Germany, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom.

After the end of the UNIC visit, Mihkelson will take part of the annual Yalta European Strategy forum along with Members of the Riigikogu Eerik-Niiles Kross and Mati Raidma.

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According to them, the most effective way to strengthen Allied security and to deter further Russian aggression is to ensure that Russia’s war against Ukraine ends in a strategic defeat. To achieve this goal, they urge NATO Allies and partners to focus on ten priorities.

Mihkelson and Korniyenko underline that Ukraine’s air defence should be made the immediate priority, a steady and predictable supply of ammunition should be ensured, Ukraine’s defence industrial base should be strengthened and intelligence and reconnaissance support expanded, investment in drones and counter-drone capabilities must be accelerated, commitment to the long-term training and force development is needed, predictable multi-year funding should be provided, economic pressure on Russia must be maintained and strengthened, Ukraine’s position in any future negotiations should be strengthened, and it is necessary to prepare now for the coming winter.

“The coming months will bring lasting consequences for the European and trans-Atlantic security. Supporting Ukraine is an investment in the collective defence of the democratic world,” the Co-Chairs of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council emphasise. In their Joint Statement, they call upon all NATO Allies and partner nations to demonstrate the unity, determination, and strategic foresight necessary to ensure that Ukraine prevails, Russia’s aggression fails, and that a comprehensive, just and lasting peace is restored in Europe.

The Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council (UNIC) co-chaired by Mihkelson and Korniyenko is a council composed of members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, which focuses on parliamentary cooperation between NATO and Ukraine. The Council also plays an important role in shaping the positions of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly regarding support for Ukraine in the war of aggression initiated by Russia and Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration.

Mihkelson is in Kyiv to participate in the celebrations of the Independence Day of Ukraine together with his European counterparts. The celebrations are also attended by Member of the Riigikogu Hanah Lahe.

Joint Statement in Estonian and in English

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Today, Mihkelson will meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova Mihai Popșoi in Chișinău. Tomorrow he will have a meeting with Doina Gherman, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Policy of the Parliament of Moldova.

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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)

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During the visit, 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.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson and members of the Committee Ester Karuse, Eerik-Niiles Kross and Luisa Värk will attend the meeting on behalf of the Riigikogu.

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During their visit, the chairs of the committees will meet with several members of the U.S. Congress including James Risch, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Keith Self, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe. The delegates will also participate in the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio’s Hearing in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The delegation will also have meetings with current and former representatives of the National Security Council, including Special Assistant to the President Charles McLaughlin and former US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg. In addition, the members of parliaments will meet with representatives from the Department of State and the Department of Defense, diplomats, and representatives from leading think tanks.

In addition to Mihkelson, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Polish Sejm Paweł Kowal, Chair of the Defence Committee of the Finnish Parliament (Eduskunta) Heikki Autto and former Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė will participate in the visit.  The visit is being organized by the Casimir Pulaski Foundation, a Polish think tank that also organizes the prestigious Warsaw Security Forum.

After the visit of the committee chairs, on Thursday, Mihkelson will also participate in meetings in the House of Representatives organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), an inter-parliamentary association established to coordinate the China policies of democratic countries.

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Mihkelson warned that it was not possible to end Russia’s war of aggression by simply sitting down at the negotiations table. “Russia is not ready to accept any agreement that would bring us closer to a fair and lasting peace. We are at a stage where Russia only recognises power.” He added that the West had so far not done enough to pressurise Russia into ending the war.

The only solution that Mihkelson can see is to remain united, support Ukraine, and turn on the pressure on Russia, both by enhancing sanctions as well as increasingly isolating Russia on the international stage. “The next planned European sanctions package, which includes a total ban on marine services to vessels transporting Russian oil, would have a huge impact on Russia,” he said.

Mihkelson also puts great emphasis on the message sent by NATO at the next summit in Ankara. “We want to see Western allies support Ukraine much more. Estonia’s defence expenditure in the foreseeable future exceeds five percent of the GDP and every year we are allocating at least 0.25 % of our GDP to give military support to Ukraine. If all the allies did the same, Ukraine would be in a much better position,” he said.

Mihkelson also emphasised the importance of continued US presence in Europe. Other topics at the meetings included defence procurements, situation in the Middle East as well as the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, Chinese influence, and developments in Russia.

During its two-day visit to Estonia, the delegation of the House of Representatives also met with the Estonian President, Minister of Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and representatives of the Estonian Navy Command.

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The meeting, held in a new format, was convened by Bruno Fuchs, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly, and Mihkelson also participated in its founding meeting at the end of last year.

The chairs of the foreign affairs committees of European countries will discuss support for Ukraine and the strengthening of European security at an all-day meeting today. Europe’s strategic autonomy and how to further strengthen cooperation between European national parliaments will also be under discussion.

After the meeting, Mihkelson will travel to Vilnius to participate in the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, starting this Friday, together with other members of the Estonian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. From the Riigikogu, Head of the Delegation Raimond Kaljulaid and member Urmas Reinsalu will also participate in the work of the Assembly.

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The delegations of Foreign Affairs Committees will also visit Latvia’s eastern border to get an overview of the border situation and the construction of the Baltic Defence Line. In addition to the delegation of Foreign Affairs Committees, representatives of Latvia’s Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces, and Border Guard will participate in the meeting.

The Estonian delegation to the meeting consists of Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Marko Mihkelson and members of the Committee Ester Karuse and Henn Põlluaas.

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Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said that the discussions at the joint sitting of Riigikogu committees had been substantive and frank and had focussed on Ukraine. “Estonia as a border country is well aware of the situation. We recognise that in order to achieve a just and lasting peace, it is necessary to continue with supporting Ukraine and exerting pressure on Russia. Only when the aggressor realises that continuing the war will not bring the desired result, it will be ready to hold real negotiations. We cannot begin talks with Russia in the near future, but Europe can work towards this goal and continue to strengthen its own security,” Mihkelson said.

At the sitting, Kallas gave an overview of current issues in the European Union’s foreign and security policy, noting that the greatest attention was currently focused on Ukraine and the Middle East.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

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