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Foreign Minister Tsahkna in Luxembourg: Europe remains committed to supporting Ukraine and pressuring Russia

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

20.10.2025 | 20:09

At the meeting of European Union foreign ministers held in Luxembourg today 20 October, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna emphasised that Europe remains firmly on course and will continue both supporting Ukraine and exerting pressure on Russia. He noted that it is extremely positive that the debate on the use of Russia's frozen assets, led by Estonia for the past three years, has now gained renewed momentum.

"Russia is not merely seeking to claim parts of Ukrainian territory — it remains intent on destroying Ukraine's independence and sovereignty, and undermining the transatlantic security architecture built on the EU and NATO," Tsahkna said. "This is evidenced by increasingly intense airstrikes against Ukraine and growing provocations on the territory of NATO Allies."

"In this situation, there must be no concessions made to Russia. Instead, pressure must be intensified to force Russia to change course and end the war. The EU must swiftly adopt the 19th sanctions package and continue developing a robust 20th package, which should primarily target revenues from energy exports," Tsahkna stated. He added that the agreement reached today in Luxembourg by EU energy ministers to completely end Russian gas imports into the Union is a long-awaited and correct step.

According to the Foreign Minister, discussions on the use of Russia's frozen assets have also gained new momentum in recent weeks.

"Ukraine's military, economic, and reconstruction needs are growing, and the burden of paying for them must not fall solely on Western countries. The aggressor responsible for the destruction must bear the cost. Estonia has led the debate on using Russia's frozen state assets for Ukraine's benefit for the past three years, and it is encouraging to see that the European Commission is now working on a proposal in this regard, which has reinvigorated the discussion," Tsahkna said.

At today's EU foreign ministers' meeting, developments in the Middle East were also discussed. Tsahkna described the recent agreement on implementing the first phase of the Gaza peace plan as an extremely positive development.

"For the first time in a long while, there is a real opportunity to end violence, improve the daily lives of civilians, and establish genuine political relations. The most important priority is to swiftly end hostilities and restore unhindered access to humanitarian aid," Tsahkna said.

The ministers also discussed EU relations with India and the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the situations in Sudan, Moldova, and Georgia. In addition, Foreign Minister Tsahkna took part in the EU-Central Asia-South Caucasus foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg, focusing on security and connectivity.

Tomorrow, Tsahkna will participate in the EU General Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, where preparations for the European Council on 23-24 October and the EU's long-term budget for 2028-2034 will be on the agenda.