At the Summit on Peace in Ukraine held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on Saturday and Sunday, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas emphasized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace plan, centered on the complete restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, is the only peace plan that, from Estonia’s perspective, ensures a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.
Kallas said that the outcome of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will have a profound effect on the foundation of not only European but also global security architecture.
“Principles such as sovereignty, territorial integrity and discrediting aggression as a tool of statecraft are the most important elements. They must at all costs be preserved. Hence, it is critical that these principles are also upheld in case of Ukraine,” she said.
“That is why I am concerned to hear about so-called peace plans or initiatives that don’t even mention these core principles of the UN Charter — the principles that form the basis for securing peace globally. We should be very careful not to leave an impression that some topics and principles, such as especially Ukraine’s territorial integrity, are somehow secondary to others. They clearly are not. Upholding these principles is the most important way towards a just and lasting peace. They must be at the core of any future peace framework,” she said.
On Sunday, Kallas also participated in a discussion on the human dimension. In her speech, Kallas explained that just 2,000 kilometers from Switzerland, Russia is waging a war of aggression, one element of which is brutal colonization.
“It is often forgotten that Russia’s war in Ukraine is also a war against people, not just land,” Kallas emphasized. Russia’s goal is to systematically destroy Ukrainian identity and culture. “One of the most heinous examples of this is the systematic deportation of Ukrainian children,” she said.
Tens of thousands of children have been deported and/or forcibly relocated to Russia from Ukrainian territories under Russian control.
“It is important that the international community keeps its attention on this issue and makes efforts to bring the children back. Estonia is also working tirelessly to ensure that children return to their parents and supports the rehabilitation of those who have been returned,” Kallas said.
The prime minister also noted that Russia’s systematic efforts to destroy Ukrainian identity in occupied territories can be reversed.
“The longer we wait, the more lives are destroyed. Therefore, continuous military support for Ukraine is essential to help liberate their land,” she said.
The Estonian prime minister also emphasized that Russia’s crimes must be punished.
“If Russia escapes punishment, their crimes will continue to repeat. The Russian leadership must be held accountable for the most serious crimes committed in Ukraine, including the crime of aggression. Estonia will continue its efforts to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression,” she said.
Source: BNS
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