Estonia raises concerns about US-Russia deal by May 9 and calls for help for Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Hanno Pevkur expressed concern about a possible deal between the US and Russia by May 9. He called for increased military and financial assistance to Ukraine to prevent an undesirable outcome.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur expressed concern about a deal between the US and Russia before May 9, calling for increased aid to Ukraine, UNN writes, citing The Guardian.
Details
Hanno Pevkur, arriving at NATO headquarters, told reporters that "it's a sunny morning in Brussels, but it's definitely not so sunny in Ukraine now," as he called on partners to increase military and financial assistance to the country.
"I only returned from Kyiv two days ago, so I know very well what the situation is," Pevkur said, adding that there are opportunities to quickly increase military assistance if countries act decisively.
Pevkur also hinted that Russia may try to strike a more comprehensive deal with the US ahead of Russia's Victory Day on May 9. "That is why we need to speed up deliveries as quickly as possible," he said.
When asked why he expects movement here, he explained: "I read the signs. … Putin has always been [attentive to important] dates. Take February 24 [the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine]. February 23 is the day of the Russian army. For the Kremlin, as always, dates are very important."
That is why I believe that on May 9, which for us is Europe Day, for Russia it is the day the Second World War ended, they will probably strive for this in order to conclude some kind of deal, some kind of ceasefire or something else
"Whether it will happen, I don't know, it depends on the Ukrainians, and then, of course, together with the United States, which are now at the negotiating table," Pevkur said.
He generally supported the idea of support forces in Ukraine, but emphasized that this should not happen at the expense of the security of NATO's eastern flank, especially in the context of Russia's expected major military exercises in the fall.
"We must make sure that, you know, we don't fall into any trap," he said.
Pevkur also said that security forces would not be a peacekeeping mission under Article 7 of the UN Charter, but asked for patience so that military planners could work out the details.