Estonia supports Ukraine on its path to EU, NATO

TALLINN – Kyllike Sillaste-Elling, deputy secretary general for political affairs at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said during a meeting with Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis in Kyiv on Monday that Estonia supports Ukraine's reforms and the process of the country's accession to the European Union and NATO.

"We hope that the homework done by Ukraine will receive the recognition it deserves from the European Commission in October, and this will allow EU member states to make a decision in December to open accession negotiations with Ukraine," Sillaste-Elling said according to spokespeople for the ministry.

Estonia will continue to train Ukrainian officials in the field of European integration in order to provide the necessary support and let Ukraine learn from the experiences of Estonia's accession to the EU, she added.

Further steps on the path towards Ukraine's accession to NATO following the Vilnius summit were also discussed. According to Sillaste-Elling, only NATO membership can offer a security guarantee that truly deters Russia.

Sillaste-Elling also discussed with the Ukrainian side how to garner support for President Zelenskyy's peace formula. Estonia actively participates in discussions and helps involve global partners in finding solutions.

"There is only one peace plan, and that is President Zelenskyy's 10-point proposal aimed at restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It is very important that the initiative on the topic of peace is in Ukraine's hands and Ukraine is leading these discussions," the official said. 

The parties also talked about the creation of an international special tribunal for the crime of aggression, which could hold the Russian leadership accountable. 

The meeting was also attended by Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Oleksandr Ilkov, director general of the Ukrainian government's office for the coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, head of the Verkhovna Rada committee on European affairs, and other Ukrainian officials.