President Karis: There must be no restrictions on support for Ukraine if peace is to be achieved

Upon meeting with Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk in Kadriorg today, President Alar Karis reiterated Estonia's unwavering support for the beleaguered country. Their discussions focused on the implementation of President Zelenskyy's victory plan, multilateral support for Ukraine and the country's integration with the EU and NATO.

President Karis acknowledged the victory plan as a concrete roadmap for ending the war in Ukraine which outlines the steps needed to achieve this. "All of Ukraine's allies must stand behind the country until Russia's aggression is stopped," he said. "If peace is to be achieved, the Ukrainians must be given maximum support for as long as they need it."

The head of state stressed the need for restrictions on military aid to be lifted. "It is incomprehensible to me that the West has banned Ukraine from targeting Russian military bases and facilities from which rocket attacks are being launched on Ukrainian children's hospitals," he remarked. "These restrictions are not only unfair, but immoral and harmful. Ukraine must be able and allowed to defend itself against the aggressor in every way possible. Russia, which is relying on North Korean and Iranian military assistance, is setting no restrictions on itself. It is attacking Ukrainian cities, and energy infrastructure in particular of late, in order to leave the people there in the cold and in the dark as winter approaches."

President Karis added that Ukraine's integration with the West is irreversible. "Estonia strongly supports Ukraine in its journey towards EU and NATO accession," he said. "It will become a member of both."