In an interview with Axios on Tuesday (April 5), Estonia Prime Minister Kaja Kallas warned against “peace at any price” with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kallas warned pressure to reach a ceasefire could mean Russia keeping territory it occupies, which she said would embolden Putin. “If he is not punished for the crimes committed, then he will just go on. There will be a pause of one year, two years and when he gets his act together, it will all repeat in a much harder or harsher way,” she said.
Ukraine and Russia have been engaged in peace talks, but many NATO members and European countries don’t seem eager for a diplomatic solution and don’t want Ukraine to cede territory. Russia’s main demands are for Ukraine to declare neutrality, recognize Crimea as Russian territory, and recognize the independence of the Donbas republics.
The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that some NATO members would prefer Ukrainians keep “fighting, and dying, than to achieve a peace that comes too early or at too high a cost to Kyiv and the rest of Europe.”
The Biden administration has shown no interest in pushing for a diplomatic solution to end the war.
➨ news.antiwar.com/2022/04/06/estonian-pm-warns-against-peace-at-any-price-with-putin