Estonia: Russia should admit it is party to the war in Ukraine

Russia should admit that it is directly taking part of the conflict in East Ukraine, Urmas Paet, the Estonian Foreign Minister, said today.

According to the Foreign Minister, Estonia condemns the Russia’s military aggression that violates the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

"It is clear that Russia is not intending to de-escalate the conflict, and their calls for a ceasefire have lost credibility," Paet said, adding that the ongoing peace negotiations can only be successful if Russia acknowledges that it is directly taking part of the conflict.

"Russia’s continuing military involvement is an obstacle for the attempts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, and the international community must strongly react."

"We should take a serious notice of the Russian organisation Soldier’s Mothers’ concern about the thousands of Russian soldiers who are fighting in Ukraine, while the Russian authorities are still denying that Russia is involved in Eastern Ukraine bloodshed," the Foreign Minister added in a statement.

Estonia is also continuing with a humanitarian support to Ukraine.