Alar Karis
A sharp reaction in Estonian political circles was caused by President Alar Karis’ statements that the EU should resume negotiations with Russia and Ukraine should consider the possibility of territorial concessions.
The Estonian government and representatives of the opposition sharply criticized the president’s statements. The day before, in an interview with Alar Karis, he called for the appointment of a special envoy to negotiate a peace settlement with Moscow, noting that “any EU contacts with Russia should be carried out in consultation with Kiev,” Euronews quoted the president as saying.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silinja also supported the idea of appointing an emissary, which was earlier supported by the leaders of France and Italy.
Later in a conversation with a journalist from the US television channel NBC, Estonia’s Karis said that Ukraine would have to consider temporarily giving up some of its territories for the sake of ending the war. He emphasized at the same time that the final decision depended only on the Ukrainian authorities.
At the same time, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that it would be a mistake to engage in dialog and restore relations with Russia if it does not abandon its imperialist policy. The statement was posted on the website of the Estonian Foreign Ministry.
And the head of the Estonian government called the president’s statements “contrary to the values of the Republic of Estonia.” At the press conference, Kristen Mihal lamented that Karis “used certainly unfortunate formulations” in interviews with foreign media. He assured that his country’s foreign policy line regarding the Ukrainian-Russian conflict has not changed, and the only way to influence the situation is not to negotiate with Putin, “legitimizing him,” but “to exert pressure through the shadow fleet, through assets, through visa restrictions for the military and other measures.”
He recalled that French and German leaders Macron and Scholz had once taken diplomatic steps – even before the outbreak of hostilities – but their efforts were futile.
The Prime Minister noted that the European Union does not need a special envoy to participate in the peace process, as it already has the President of the European Commission von Der Leyen and the heads of the European Council Kosta and European diplomacy Kallas.
“The EU is constantly present at the negotiating table. We are there together with Ukraine. From time to time, the United States is also present at this table together with the EU and Ukraine, and recently more and more often, ” the prime minister added.
Michal disagreed with the president’s opinion that Kiev should consider the possible renunciation of the territories seized by the Russian Armed Forces. In his opinion, the Russian leader will not be satisfied with this because “he needs to deprive Ukraine of its sovereignty”.
The opposition also reacted sharply to Alar Karis’ words, saying they caused Estonia “reputational damage.” Despite the fact that the presidential powers in Estonia are rather ceremonial and representative, the official positions of the president and the government should be calibrated, its representatives said.
