Estonian formin discusses assistance for Ukraine, Danske case with Danish counterpart

TALLINN – In a phone call on Thursday, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu discussed with his Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen further cooperation between Estonia and Denmark, support for Ukraine, the regional security situation and the Danske Bank case.

Reinsalu congratulated his colleague on the appointment and spoke with Rasmussen about bilateral cooperation and joint activities for continued support of Ukraine, spokespeople for the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

"In addition to providing comprehensive military, economic and political support to help Ukraine win the difficult war that has already lasted for 10 months, Estonia and Denmark have chosen focus regions in Ukraine to start rebuilding the war-damaged areas. Hopefully, our initiative and first projects will serve as a model for other countries, as the reconstruction of Ukraine requires effective international cooperation and resources," Reinsalu said according to the spokespeople.

Reinsalu also raised the topic of making sure that Russia is held legally accountable.

"I emphasized that Estonia stands for the need to establish a special tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression by the Russian authorities and bring those responsible to justice. Russia must not have a sense of impunity for any crime or atrocity committed in Ukraine," the minister said.

Speaking about the security situation in the region, Reinsalu thanked his Danish counterpart for Denmark's significant military contribution and the presence of soldiers in Estonia, which helps ensure the security of our region.

The ministers also discussed the case of Danske Bank, with Reinsalu explaining Estonia's position on the handling of the case.

"I pointed out that for us it is important to have seamless communication between the countries in this case. I stressed that from Estonia's point of view, a high-level dialogue is needed to assess this case and draw conclusions about what happened," the Estonian minister said.