Russia is in a “precarious position,” so it is necessary to continue to pressure it with sanctions rather than intensify negotiations, said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.
“Now is not the time for talks or negotiations. Now is the time to put pressure on Russia,” he said on Saturday in the corridors of the Lennart Meri conference dedicated to foreign policy and security issues in Tallinn (quote from Bloomberg). According to the minister, the Russian Federation has intensified contacts with European countries amid the weakening of its economy and a stalemate on the front in Ukraine.
Earlier, European Council President Antonio Costa stated that there is “potential” for negotiations with Moscow, while President Vladimir Putin, for his part, mentioned that he sees his longtime friend and former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder as a potential negotiator from the EU. “We do not view positively” the idea that “everyone rushed to Moscow with the thought: ‘Let’s start negotiations because Russia is weakened,’” Tsahkna said. “Now is not the time [for that],” he emphasized. The Estonian representative also noted that Putin's options are running out and that Western sanctions are bearing fruit.
Tsahkna added that discontent is growing within Russia amid the ongoing fifth year of war due to disruptions in mobile internet service and economic decline, and he reminded of the reduced format of the Victory Day military parade in Moscow on May 9 as potential signs of vulnerability.
“The tone has changed. Everyone understands that now is the most suitable moment to pressure Russia. Looking at the overall picture, we see that Russia is currently in a precarious position,” the minister concluded.
Earlier, he stated that NATO would strike deep into Russian territory if the Kremlin decides to attack the Baltic states: “We will bring war to Russia. We know exactly what to do,” The Moscow Times reports.
Leave a comment