At his meeting with Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, today, Minister of Defence Jüri Luik confirmed that Estonia supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
‘The West must not withdraw from the policy of refusing to recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea’, stated Luik.
He added that Estonia approves the continuation of sanctions against Russia, in full, until the Minsk Agreements have been fulfilled.
According to the Minister of Defence, Estonia also recognises the greater attempts by Ukraine at Euro-Atlantic Integration and closer cooperation with NATO.
‘At the same time that it is engaged in armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine, Ukraine is also participating in NATO and UN led operations and attempting to carry out reforms. Ukraine-NATO cooperation is very good and we must praise the contributions and efforts of Ukraine’, said Luik.
The Minister added that relations between Estonia and Ukraine remain close and strong, and Estonia will continue defence cooperation with Ukraine, both bilaterally and through NATO.
At the meeting, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, presented Estonian Minister of Defence Luik with an overview of the developments in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, compliance with the Minsk Agreements, and the situation in Eastern Ukraine.
Estonia and Ukraine are engaged in close defence related cooperation. Estonia's servicemen are training members of the Ukrainian armed forces, including Special Forces. Ukrainian combat medics have also received training in Estonia, and each year casualties from the conflict in the Ukrainian conflict come to Estonia for rehabilitation.
Estonia will continue to advise Ukraine in the field of cyber defence, and specialists from the Combat Engineer Battalion and Artillery Battalion of the Estonian Defence Forces have been to Ukraine to familiarise themselves with the situation there. Estonia has also procured a tactical bridge system from Ukraine.
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