According to Michal, the victory plan of President Zelenskyy gives the Allies a concrete aim through which Ukrainians can win. “We must send a strong message to the Russian Federation that we are all supporting Ukraine until the aggressor has been defeated. We will not stop halfway,” said Michal.
The Estonian prime minister added that the only way to create the conditions for a just and lasting peace is to support Ukraine with everything they need and we can provide. “Estonia highly appreciates Ukraine’s efforts to win the war and restore peace in Europe based on international law,” he said.
Michal said that the outcome of the war will not only be decided on the battlefield, but also in close Euro-Atlantic cooperation with Ukraine. “Ukraine must become a member of NATO and the European Union as quickly and smoothly as possible,” he said. “We also need to help restore Ukraine’s energy security before the winter. Putin expects resistance to be weakened by the cold weather and through bombing the energy infrastructure. Our job is to help ensure the resilience of critical energy infrastructure.”
The Estonian prime minister also pointed out that Ukraine needs long-term and flexible financing, for which a joint loan from the G7 and the European Union is the best solution. “We must also continue to strengthen sanctions against Russia and impose new ones – these are powerful tools to squeeze Putin’s war machine,” said Michal.
In addition to the European Council, Prime Minister Kristen Michal attended the EU-GCC summit on Wednesday and met bilaterally with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
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