Estonian formin: Russia in gross violation Ukraine's sovereignty

  • 2022-09-30
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN – In his comment on Russia's decision to illegally annex Ukraine's territories, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu described Russia's actions as a gross violation of international law and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

"Estonia unequivocally and gravely condemns the so-called referenda held in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine's occupied territories, and Russia’s decision to illegally annex these territories, as was done with the Crimean peninsula," Reinsalu said on Friday.

"These so-called referenda have nothing to do with the expression of the will of the people and are completely null and void," he said.

"I would like to stress that Ukraine has the right to defend its territory within its internationally recognized borders," the minister said.

He said that Russia's irresponsible threats against the West, including with nuclear weapons, will not deter Western countries from supporting Ukraine until Russia has lost the war and Ukraine has restored its sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders.

"We must also immediately increase our defense assistance to Ukraine and continue raising the cost of the aggression for Russia, including by making quick progress with additional sanctions. We must also establish an international tribunal so that the organizers of Russia's war of aggression will not go unpunished under any circumstances. Ukraine has our unwavering support," Reinsalu said.