Putin Must Change His Goals - Braže 0 13

According to Braže, the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has not changed his goals - to subjugate Ukraine, to Russify it, and to prevent its integration into the Euro-Atlantic community. For its part, Ukraine will not renounce its right to be a sovereign and democratic state with the freedom of choice.

In her opinion, at a technical level, various solutions can be reached, but at a political level, as long as Russia does not abandon its goals, negotiations cannot yield results. Braže added that Russia's demands, such as the official status of the Russian language in Ukraine, the official status of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the abandonment of Donbas, are unacceptable for Ukraine, while others concerning Ukraine's status in NATO and the alliance's forces are unacceptable for European countries and the Euro-Atlantic community.

Braže emphasized that the U.S. deserves recognition for its mediating efforts, while also expressing the opinion that Europe should be at the negotiating table when discussing the future of Europe. According to the foreign minister, there is no shortage of willingness to try, and Europe could also get involved, but that is not the main issue because, until the fundamentals change, the outcome will be the same.

The Latvian foreign minister believes that only strength on the battlefield, along with the forces of NATO allies, will compel Russia to be sincere in negotiations and abandon its political goals. She identified key areas such as investment in defense, NATO forces, transatlantic unity, and support for Ukraine, as well as weakening Russia.

She noted that Russia is not doing well, facing economic difficulties and high inflation because the military economy "cannibalizes everything else." The foreign minister called for continued work on the 20th and 21st packages of sanctions and to deprive Russia of technology, as the latest attacks used newly produced missiles, and Russia continues to receive dual-use technology from China and other countries, along with supplies of Iranian drones and North Korean supplies.

Estonian Foreign Ministry Secretary Jonathan Vseviov stated that Putin's goals are not limited to Ukraine alone but include a fundamental restructuring of the European security order, with Ukraine being the first step and Europe the second.

Vseviov believes that Putin has "lost the narrative" and no longer has a theory of victory. Previously, Putin's message was based on the idea that time was on his side. In his opinion, signals of escalation coming from Moscow indicate desperation rather than a real desire for escalation or war.

Vseviov characterized talks about negotiations and the involvement of Europeans as a trap aimed at fracturing European unity and creating a competing narrative that diplomacy should be given a chance - precisely at the moment when the European Union needs to make unanimous decisions, including on enlargement and the 21st package of sanctions. According to him, Europe is already involved - both through the imposition of sanctions and by moving towards EU enlargement. A two-pronged plan is also being implemented: to raise the cost of aggression for Russia and to help Ukraine survive, to convince Putin that time is no longer on his side.