Thank you so much!
Dear attendees,
Mr. President,
Dear journalists,
First of all, I want to thank President Karis and the entire Estonian people for their unwavering attention, respect, and support for Ukraine and Ukrainians. These days, President Karis is visiting us for the last time while serving as President, but you are always welcome here. And we remember and will not forget that your presidential term has spanned every year since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war, and every year – whenever needed – we have received the necessary assistance from you. We are true friends and partners.
President Karis was here in Kyiv two days, exactly two days, before Russia’s full-scale invasion. Throughout the war, we have met with the President many times and reached agreements – always. I am grateful to Estonia for the level of cooperation we have achieved and for its unwavering principled stance in assessing Russian aggression and in our joint European efforts in defense.
Estonia provides us with military assistance. We support each other’s security capabilities, and we have the Drone Deal format between us – we signed it – which allows us to share our defense experience with your country, with Estonia. Of course, it is important to accelerate this work with Estonia and the Baltic states as a whole within the Drone Deal framework.
Estonia was among the first to actively engage in Ukraine’s reconstruction, and there are specific sites in the Zhytomyr region that have been restored thanks to cooperation with Estonia – educational institutions, homes for Ukrainian families, infrastructure – exactly what serves people and their lives. Thank you for this.
We value the fact that Estonia has always been a principled supporter of our European and Euro-Atlantic integration. It is always particularly difficult to discuss Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic choice with our partners. But it is very important that there are principled partners who consistently raise this issue, even in diplomatic circles where Ukraine is not present. We know that Estonia’s advocacy is always on our side, and we are very grateful for that.
Ukraine and Estonia are united by a shared understanding that the Russian Federation’s aggression against one country in our region always means potential aggression against any of its neighbors. Russia never stops with just one country, so all of us, and only together, must be able to defend ourselves, we must develop alliances, and that is what we are doing.
Thank you for supporting the opening of all clusters this year – it is very important for us. For Ukraine, this is not merely a political matter; it is a source of motivation for our people.
Of course, we discussed all the security threats we face now and those we may face this winter, and all voices in Europe must speak out in support of providing Ukraine with air defense.
It is important that our special NB8, Nordic-Baltic, cooperation format is also effective – Ukraine together with the Nordic and Baltic states.
We count on Estonia continuing to play an active role in all the coalitions established since the beginning of the full-scale war, including the IT Coalition, which Estonia leads.
It is important that Estonia continue to support all necessary sanctions against Russia and help us convince others that sanctions must work and must continue to be strengthened against the aggressor until the war ends.
I am confident that Estonia will continue to stand firmly in support of Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO. And of course, we will be glad to see you, Mr. President, and all our friends from Estonia here in Ukraine. We value our friendship and the fact that we share the same vision for Europe’s future – a Europe that is united, free, and at peace.
Thank you for this.
It is a great pleasure to have you visiting Ukraine today, and we are very pleased that you are here together with the First Lady. We are grateful to the First Lady of Estonia for taking part in the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen as well. Thank you for your support.
Glory to Ukraine!