Callas: Putin is trying to use the threat of mass migration as a weapon
Kyiv • UNN
Russian President Vladimir Putin is using the threat of mass migration from Ukraine as a weapon to divide and weaken European unity in supporting Ukraine against Russian invasion.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "is trying to use the threat of mass migration as a weapon" because he knows that this is a vulnerability in Europe, as Ukraine's supporters are trying to maintain unity to defeat Russia. She said this in a speech in Tallinn on May 17, describing the negative consequences of Ukraine's defeat for Europe, UNN reports with reference to The Guardian.
The goal is to make life in Ukraine unbearable and create migration pressure on Europe, that's what they are doing.The opponents know that migration is our vulnerability
According to Kallas, Putin is using the threat of mass migration as a tactic to divide and weaken Europe, while Ukraine's supporters are trying to maintain unity to defeat Russia.
Our enemies know that migration is our vulnerability
The official noted that Russia has already had experience in creating migration pressure, in particular through the escalation of conflicts in Syria and Africa, where Wagner's group was involved:
They push migrants across the border and create problems for Europeans, they use it as a weapon, because if you respect human rights, you have to accept these people.
The official pointed out that far-right forces in Europe are also actively using this situation to their advantage. Kallas also noted that the situation on the Ukrainian front is "very serious" due to delays in the supply of weapons.
The problem is that our promises do not save lives
Prior to Kallas' speech, former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves suggested that "if Russia invades Ukraine, about 30 million Ukrainians may want to flee.
Speaking in the US Congress, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy Michael Ryan predicted that in case of Ukraine's defeat, the number of migrants could range from 5 to 15 million, as reported by Voice of America. Kallas also noted that some European countries "still do not realize and do not recognize the risk that Ukraine's defeat will endanger the whole of Europe.
She also added that she fears the mistake of the late 1930s, when related conflicts were treated as separate events:
The lesson of 1938 and 1939 is that if aggression is allowed somewhere, it will be used elsewhere. The defeat of Ukraine is something that all aggressors will learn from. They will learn that in 2024 you can simply colonize another country and nothing will happen to you.
Recall
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba blamed Ukraine's recent failures on the battlefield on "everyone who is not doing enough,"admitting that the current situation is "difficult" due to insufficient military aid, which has to be compensated for by the heroism and sacrifice of its soldiers.
