The United States must be “very careful” not to make concessions to Russia, Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Callas said in an interview with AFP on Friday, saying only Moscow could reduce tensions.
Kaya Kalas, a country that hosts a multinational NATO battalion, also stressed that it was holding talks to strengthen the North Atlantic Alliance’s presence in Estonia for deterrence.
The Estonian prime minister, a former member of the European Parliament who came to power in 2021, says Russia, which the West sees as wanting to invade Ukraine, is pursuing a Soviet approach to issuing ultimatums in hopes of extracting concessions from the West. Countries.
“We must be very careful not to take any steps towards Russia or offer (to the Russians) something they did not have before,” he told AFP.
Russia has deployed nearly 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s border in recent weeks, urging Kiev not to join the Alliance and to withdraw NATO forces from countries such as Estonia, which joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization after its dissolution. Union.
“Our main concern is whether Russia will attack Ukraine and the second is how this affects the general security situation in Europe, especially in Eastern Europe,” he added.
“NATO and Russia are sitting at the (negotiating) table and talking, but the only one that can escalate is Russia,” Kalas said.
Estonia has announced plans to send “dozens” of US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine to help defend itself in the event of an attack, and has received permission from the United States to do so.
This Baltic country, a former Soviet republic, also wants to send east-east German guns to Ukraine. But this presupposes the approval of Germany, which has so far refused.
Asked about Germany’s stance, which is sometimes seen as ambiguous in the crisis, Kaya Callas said: “They will decide. For us, it is very important to support Ukraine in every possible way.”
NATO, Kalas said, generally has a “very united position”, even if the allies “have different ideas and tactics”.
Russia considers NATO’s military presence inside the Baltic states on its borders aggressive. The members of the Alliance, having no intention of making concessions, are discussing “a strengthening, not a weakening” of their positions, according to Kalas. “Strengthening this defense is good for defense and deterrence,” he said.
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