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Foreign Minister Tsahkna in Warsaw: Europe holds the lever of power and Putin has no aces

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

08.05.2025 | 19:08

On 7 and 8 May, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna participated in the informal meeting of European Union foreign ministers (Gymnich) in Warsaw, where the Russian aggression against Ukraine and relations between the European Union and the United States were discussed. In addition, a meeting was held with the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, David Lammy, to discuss closer relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom and topical foreign policy issues.

Discussions focused on Russia's continued aggression in Ukraine and support for Ukraine. "We all want peace in Ukraine - a peace that is lasting and respects Ukraine's sovereign rights. However, Russia does not care about such peace," Tsahkna said, adding that the peace achieved on Putin's terms was not sustainable.

Tsahkna said that despite Russia's claims, the sanctions were having a significant negative impact on the Russian economy. "Europe has the lever of power and Putin has no aces," he said. "We must continue to raise the cost of the war for Russia. The additional 17th package of sanctions must be adopted already this month and the sanctions must remain in place until Russia has compensated Ukraine for the damage it has caused with its aggression. At the same time, we must move forward with using the frozen assets of the Russian central bank for the benefit of Ukraine," the foreign minister added.

In the discussion on EU-US relations, Tsahkna conveyed his observations from his meetings in Washington to EU foreign ministers. "Europe must be an equal partner to the United States in ensuring security. To achieve this, the European Union has approved a €800 billion plan for re-arming," Tsahkna said. Tsahkna also stressed the strategic importance of rebuilding Ukraine, which created new opportunities for transatlantic cooperation.

At the meeting with Lammy, Tsahkna said that the UK was an indispensable partner for the EU. "Estonia supports deeper relations between the EU and the United Kingdom, especially in areas related to security," Tsahkna said.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza was also discussed. No humanitarian organisation has been able to deliver aid to Gaza for more than two months and the situation is extremely critical.