Tsahkna: Isolating and pressuring Russia will lead to peace

TALLINN - Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna visited Kyiv on Thursday and Friday, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to discuss further steps to increase pressure on Russia. They agreed that only strong pressure and a continued policy of isolation will help achieve a just and lasting peace.

"Estonia's support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity remains unwavering, as it is in our own security interest that attempts to change borders by force do not succeed," said Foreign Minister Tsahkna. He added that Estonia's foreign policy has not changed and supporting Ukraine in resisting aggression remains a foreign policy priority for Estonia.

"As long as Russia's goal of destroying Ukraine and reorganizing European security has not changed, our policy of isolation and pressure towards Russia will not change either. In our meetings in Kyiv, we shared the understanding that a just and lasting peace can only be achieved through political, economic, and military support for Ukraine, and by isolating, pressuring, and depriving the aggressor Russia of the economic resources needed to wage war," said Tsahkna.

"Europe has been consistent in supporting Ukraine and has continued the policy, established since the first days of the war, of supporting Ukraine and pressuring Russia. We are continuing to work with the European Union to adopt the 20th sanctions package as quickly as possible, which would include sanctions against Russian energy companies, the shadow fleet, and individuals enabling their activities. The central element of this package must be a ban on maritime services for ships exporting Russian energy carriers," Tsahkna said.

"Estonia will continue to provide military aid to Ukraine amounting to at least 0.25 percent of its GDP annually. We have also contributed to NATO's PURL arms assistance initiative," Tsahkna said. "As this year's chair of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8), we will keep support for Ukraine at the center of our joint activities."

"We will also continue to work towards Ukraine's progress on European Union membership and to ensure that Ukraine can quickly utilize the 90 billion euro loan planned for 2026-2027, which EU leaders agreed on late last year," Tsahkna said. He added that work on developing strong security guarantees also continues. "Estonia announced its readiness to contribute to the coalition of the willing last spring."

The foreign ministers also discussed ways to cooperate to close the Schengen area to Russian fighters. "Russian fighters who have committed war atrocities in Ukraine pose a security threat to Europe, and we must act to ensure they cannot enter the Schengen area like ordinary travelers," Tsahkna said.

During the visit, Tsahkna also announced Estonia's support for Ukraine to help it overcome the energy crisis.

"Russia has not achieved success on the battlefield and is not on a path to victory. Russia has directed its attacks against Ukraine's energy infrastructure to leave Ukrainians without heating, electricity, and water during the coldest winter in 16 years, thereby breaking their fighting spirit. Estonia's humanitarian and energy support will provide Ukrainians with warmth and shelter and help them survive the winter," said Tsahkna, who on Friday opened a mobile crisis center in Kyiv's Troieshchyna district, erected with Estonian funding. Two more similar centers funded by Estonia will be opened in the near future.

"The crisis center offers round-the-clock shelter where residents of apartment buildings without heating and electricity can come to take shelter from the cold, charge devices, and access drinking water, internet, hot drinks, and light meals," Tsahkna said.

The crisis centers are being established by the NGO Mondo and its partner organization Dobrobat, with funding from the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other donors.

According to the foreign minister, Estonia will also continue to support the reconstruction of Ukraine and is preparing to host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Tallinn in 2027.

"To ensure the normal functioning of Ukrainian society and to mitigate the consequences of the destruction caused by Russia, Estonia is continuing with reconstruction projects in Zhytomyr Oblast. Thanks to Estonia, the children's shelter in the city of Zhytomyr now has a warm and fully equipped bomb shelter, and internally displaced persons have a 36-apartment social housing building in Ovruch," Tsahkna said.