At the meeting, Secretary General Vseviov said that Estonia stands in full solidarity with Germany following Germany’s attribution to Russia of the planned drone attack in Leipzig. “The Leipzig incident is yet another example of Russia’s willingness to use increasingly dangerous means to achieve its objectives on EU and NATO territory and far beyond its own borders. Such actions must be met with a united and decisive response,” Vseviov said.
According to Vseviov, the Leipzig incident cannot be viewed in isolation from Russia’s broader activities in Europe or its war of aggression against Ukraine. “Russia’s aim is to sow fear and uncertainty in Europe and weaken our support for Ukraine. Our response must be the opposite: greater pressure on Russia and continued strong support for Ukraine,” Vseviov said.
The Secretary General stressed that while Russia continues to attack Ukrainian cities and civilians, Europe must focus on forcing the aggressor to pay an ever higher price for its actions. “Russia has shown no willingness to end its aggression. We must therefore continue working on new sanctions, restrict Russia’s ability to finance the war and give Ukraine everything it needs to defend itself. The pressure must continue to increase until Russia ends the war,” Vseviov said.
The meeting also discussed making the European Union’s foreign policy more effective and strengthening cooperation between member states in international organisations.
“First and foremost, the European Union has predictability and stability to offer the world, and that is our strength,” Vseviov said.
The discussion on the Middle East focused, among other issues, on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, as well as the situation in the West Bank.
