The head of state explained that Estonia’s support covers everything from imposing hard-hitting restrictions on Russia to providing political, diplomatic and practical support to Ukraine – including military assistance and humanitarian aid, taking in Ukrainian refugees and contributing to the restructuring of Ukraine once the war comes to an end.
“When I was in Kyiv, I made a personal promise to President Zelensky that I would do everything I can to ensure that other countries help Ukraine as well,” President Karis revealed. “A lot of countries in Europe, along with the United States, have provided the Ukrainians with weaponry and humanitarian aid. Sanctions must be strong and effective, and made to hit even harder if need be. And Estonia has taken the decision, in principle, to wean itself off Russian gas as quickly as possible.”
President Karis says Ukraine needs practical help, starting with machinery and equipment to help them demolish shelled-out buildings and find any bodies that still lie among the ruins. “The areas the Russians have been driven out of also need to be cleared of mines before people can return to them,” he added. “We can only hope that the help we are all offering, combined with the bravery of the Ukrainian people, will help bring an end to this war, although we will all be scarred by it for decades to come.”
President Karis confirmed that Estonia would also support Ukraine in the investigation of war crimes. “One of the aims of the visit that myself and my fellow Baltic presidents made to Kyiv was to stand witness to the war crimes that have been committed in Ukraine and to ensure that they are not hidden from the rest of the world,” he explained. “The public prosecutor’s offices in Estonia and Ukraine enjoy an excellent working relationship. We will be assisting in gathering evidence of war crimes, and supporting the work of the International Criminal Court. We have already offered Kyiv the help of our best experts. The perpetrators of these crimes must be brought to justice.”
Speaking of Ukraine’s EU ambitions, President Karis assured the parliamentary delegation that Estonia is unwavering in its support of Ukraine’s accession to the union, since the country is fighting to defend the core values of Europe. “Ukraine deserves unambiguous prospects in relation to its accession to the European Union and should be awarded candidate country status,” he said. “It is good to see the country has taken an important step in that direction by completing the EU membership questionnaire, which means we can now move forward in that regard. But there is a long road ahead. Estonia has already made that journey, thanks to which we are able to advise Ukraine if they need us to. We will be very happy to share our experiences with them.”
