“Estonia’s support for Ukraine and its people is steadfast,” said Prime Minister Kallas. “We were one of the first countries to offer Ukraine military assistance and we are continuing to provide them with military and humanitarian aid. I have a lot of admiration too for those Estonians who have opened their hearts to the refugees arriving here, making their first few days in the country much easier for them. But so many refugees have reached Estonia that they already form more than 1% of the total population. They are likely to remain here for quite some time, and they needs places to live and work, and schools for their children. At the same time, we must be able to guarantee the smooth functioning of public services, including health care, for both the people of Estonia and the large number of refugees arriving in the country. That will be a major challenge for our local governments, the state and society as a whole.”
In the light of this, Prime Minister Kallas says that Estonia’s message to the European Commission is that a pan-European solution is needed to assist those fleeing from the war in Ukraine. “The effort being made to take in refugees should be equally shared among EU Member States and their partners so as to ensure that the refugees are able to cope, have somewhere to live and can find work or resume their studies as quickly as possible until they are able to return to their own country,” she said.
To date, Estonia has provided Ukraine with more than 200 million euros in military assistance and, via state support and private donations, more than 10 million euros in humanitarian aid.
Minister of the Interior Kristian Jaani says that although taking in refugees is a challenge for Estonia, the state is doing and will continue to do everything it can to help and support Ukrainians. Other EU Member States are also assisting those fleeing from the war. “Europe has demonstrated enormous unity in supporting Ukraine,” he said. “Estonia is doing its best to help those who have lost their homes and fled from the horrors of the war, but in doing so we need greater support from the European Commission and other EU institutions. Commissioner Johansson’s visit to Narva is a highly significant one and underscores the fact that in the changed security situation, the defence of the external border of the EU and the security of the union as a whole are a concern and a priority for us all.”
Prime Minister Kallas, Minister of the Interior Jaani and Commissioner Johansson also discussed the physical construction of the union’s external border and matters related to the Tallinn-based eu-LISA agency.
Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzGyaX
