Estonian Foreign Minister says Russia should be negotiated with from a position of strength and unity
In an interview with the Australian newspaper Sydney Morning Herald, Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser said that he is convinced that the countries of the West need to maintain unity in communication with Russia and at the same time strongly express their position .
According to him, taking into account the current policy of the Russian Federation, it is important for the countries of the West to maintain a united front so that "when you talk to a leader like [Putin], and obviously we need to talk with Russia, then you need to talk from a position of strength and unity and determination."
Mikser was quick to add that the Kremlin would interpret any sign of hesitation as a weakness to be exploited. He also noted that NATO conducts exercises near the Russian border but that they are "pretty modest and definitely not escalatory… [it's] the way to preserve peace."
"We have seen Russia launch two military operations against its neighbors in a matter of 10 years: in 2008 against Georgia and more recently against Ukraine. It’s a pretty scary pattern if you think about it. In 21st century Europe, you see a country using military means to achieve its political goals with apparently very little hesitation," Mikser said.
Earlier, the head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, expressed his opinion in an interview with Politico that the West should restore contact with Russia and leave the "rhetoric of the cold war" in the past.