The European Union must make it clear to Russia that it will have to pay a high price if it moves against Ukraine, Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Callas told Reuters on Wednesday, urging the “Old Continent” to agree quickly on how to prevent Moscow. .
The increase in military activity on both sides follows weeks of growing tensions that have highlighted the risk of war between the two former Soviet states, although Moscow denies any offensive intent.
“We share the concern about the Russian military build-up around the Ukrainian border,” Callas said in an interview after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
“It is very important for the European side to be clear that the price of any steps towards Ukraine will be so high that it will act as a deterrent and make Russia reconsider,” he said.
He also said that there was a way for the EU and the United States to agree on a “common deterrent”, because the migration crisis on the Belarus-Poland border, the current lack of government in Germany and the fact that France was approaching a presidential election could to be the “perfect line of defense” for Russian President Vladimir Putin in case he wants to test the EU’s determination.
Callas said there was much that could be done about sanctions against Moscow.
Estonia shares a border with Russia and last week called in 1,700 reserve troops for an unannounced military exercise, which includes the installation of a wire barrier along 40 kilometers of its border with Russia.
“If this is a kind of threat that someone has in mind to use against us, then we are making all the preparations,” he said. However, to date there are no signs of a threat to the Estonian border or the transfer of migrants to Estonia via Russia, Callas said.
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