EU Should Start Accession Talks with Ukraine - Prime Ministers of Estonia, Finland

Prime Ministers of Estonia Kaja Kallas and of Finland Petteri Orpo stressed that at the upcoming EU leaders' summit it is particularly important to demonstrate readiness for long-term support for Ukraine and to make decisions on financial and military assistance to the country, as well as to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.

They said this in a joint statement published by Politico.

"Europe's actions will send signals across the Atlantic to our friends in Ukraine, and will also send a signal to Russia that we are ready for a protracted phase of the war and that we will not be the first to tire... History will judge us by what we do now: whether we allow the aggressor to gain any ground, or whether we stay the course and ensure that freedom prevails," Orpo and Kallas said.

They emphasise the need to continue supporting Ukraine and prove to Moscow that it is hoping in vain for Western fatigue.

"We will help defend Ukraine. We will not be intimidated and will not compromise on the freedom and security of the Ukrainian people or our own," the publication says.

Kallas and Orpo emphasise that the countries of the so-called free world should maintain their support for Ukraine and plan for the long term.

"Now there is a confrontation of willpower... Russia's strategy is based on the hope that we will get tired first. The Kremlin is confident that they have more determination than we do, that they can wait it out, produce more than we do, and outplay Ukraine, the Euro-Atlantic community and other allies and partners. It's time to prove that this is not a winning strategy," they said.

The leaders note that in Estonia, 87% of respondents agree that the European Union should continue to support Ukraine, and in Finland, the figure is 88%.

The Prime Ministers recall that the total amount of Estonian assistance exceeds €400 million, which is more than 1% of its GDP, and that Finland's bilateral assistance is €2.2 billion, which includes 20 military aid packages and various humanitarian and development projects. Finland is also one of the largest donors in the EU to support the Ukrainian energy sector.

"Estonia and Finland do not take their hard-won freedom for granted. We know from our own history that freedom must be fought for, no matter what the cost of resistance. The stakes in Ukraine today are the very idea of freedom. This is what Russia and other autocratic states fear and want to destroy.

Russia wants to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign state and redraw the borders of Europe with military force. This vision of "security" must not be allowed to prevail. Peace on Russia's terms will not bring peace to Europe - it will feed Russian nationalism and imperialism, and authoritarian regimes around the world will conclude that the free world is weak," the heads of government of Estonia and Finland emphasise.

They note that the focus should be on supporting Ukraine with weapons, ammunition and training at a level that is sufficient to maintain Ukraine's defence capabilities, and that this can be achieved through joint efforts of Western allies.