The Estonian head of government says she and Prime Minister Johnson agreed that Russia has become a pariah state and must be treated accordingly. “Working with our allies and partners, we have taken some swift and very much needed decisions in recent days in response to the military aggression of Russia and Belarus,” Prime Minister Kallas explained. “Our shared goal is the economic and political isolation of Putin’s regime. A number of rounds of wide-ranging sanctions have been adopted against the fellow aggressors that are Russia and Belarus.”
Prime Minister Kallas nevertheless warned that innocent people are continuing to die in Ukraine. “We are bearing witness to the war crimes being perpetrated by Putin’s soldiers in Ukraine in scenes that are becoming increasingly painful to watch,” she said. “We have to do more to stop the Putin war machine and isolate the aggressor. I call on all countries to continue providing Ukraine with every assistance. We are doing so ourselves. The priority at the moment is safe and effective solutions to ensure that practical help reaches the country as quickly as possible. At this very moment, the brave people of Ukraine are fighting for a democratic Europe. Estonia has always supported their accession to the European Union, and we must send them a clear signal that those membership prospects remain.”
Prime Minister Kallas also discussed defence cooperation with her British counterpart. “Our aim is for there to be a permanent and more sizeable NATO military presence in our country,” the Estonian head of government said. “I would like to thank Prime Minister Johnson for the United Kingdom’s decision to double its contribution to the allied battled group based here in Estonia and to send additional supplies. It can be very clearly seen and felt here in Tapa today just how effectively NATO’s collective defence works. Estonia greatly values the leadership role the United Kingdom has taken and the contribution that all of our allies have made to our security.”
Gallery: Raigo Paljula https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzEbpg
