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According to Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, the U.S. decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine means that Europe must help Ukraine more and at a faster pace than before to fill this gap.
The minister’s statement was published by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Europe must increase military aid to Ukraine so that Ukraine can continue its fight for a just and lasting peace,” Tsahkna said.
“The Estonian government has already decided to increase military aid to Ukraine by 25% this year and to urgently deliver, among other things, 10,000 artillery shells to Ukraine. Our decision proves that new and swift measures can be taken to support Ukraine, and we urge all of Ukraine’s supporters to immediately increase military aid,” he emphasized.
According to the foreign minister, one way to secure additional funding for Ukraine is by using frozen Russian assets. Since most of these frozen state assets are in Europe, European countries must play a decisive role in implementing measures to direct these funds toward aiding Ukraine.
“Claims that there is no legal basis for using frozen Russian assets are unfounded. Last week, I shared Estonia’s discussion paper with my European partners, presenting a clear solution for utilizing these assets. A political decision on using frozen assets is necessary before the next deadline for renewing sanctions against Russia in June,” Tsahkna stated.
“The aggressor, who is solely responsible for this war, must feel the pressure, while the victim of aggression must receive firm support—only in this way can Russia be forced to abandon its objectives and achieve lasting peace in Ukraine,” he added.
As previously reported, Trump ordered a halt to all U.S. military aid to Ukraine until he sees that Ukraine’s leadership “demonstrates goodwill toward peace.”
Trump’s decision also affects weapons that had already left U.S. territory and were en route to the Ukrainian border.
Read also: Media: Trump Halts Shipment of Undelivered Weapons to Ukraine
