What happened
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna addressed this week’s U.S.-mediated talks on the Russia-Ukraine war taking place in Abu Dhabi, saying there is no reason to fear that the discussions will result in a broader European peace settlement.
According to Tsahkna, the best possible outcome of the Abu Dhabi meeting would be a ceasefire, meaning the weapons fall silent, after which further discussions could take place. He added that he personally does not believe a ceasefire will be achieved.
Tsahkna said the talks involve Russia, Ukraine and the United States, with European representatives from France, the United Kingdom and Germany also present. He stressed that no agreement concerning Europe can be made without Europe itself.
He argued that Ukraine is part of Europe and that Europe is currently paying for and supporting Ukraine while putting pressure on Russia. If a peace agreement shapes Europe’s security architecture, he said, Ukraine and Europe must be at the table and anything concerning Europe must be agreed with European countries.
Tsahkna also said there can be no gray zones, neutral territories or buffer zones between NATO, the European Union and Russia in the future. He added that Europe is united on its security architecture and will find consensus on who represents Europe at the talks, including non-EU countries such as the United Kingdom, Norway and Iceland.
Commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tsahkna said he does not believe Putin wants a ceasefire and instead wants to divide the Western world.
