The head of the Estonian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Marko Mihkelson, said that cooperation between the Black Sea and Baltic regions needs to be strengthened in order to ensure Europe’s resilience. He also emphasized the need for a strategy aimed at Ukraine’s victory.
Speaking on Saturday at the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa, Mihkelson stated that this cooperation should have global significance. He said that the European Union must develop a comprehensive strategy to help Ukraine defeat Russia in its war of aggression.
According to Mihkelson, the Black Sea region can only become secure once Russian imperialism is defeated — not only in Ukraine, but also in Georgia and eventually in Belarus.
He warned that Russia has been waging war against the free world for years, extending beyond its military aggression in Ukraine to include disruptive operations across Europe, such as election interference and acts of sabotage.
Mihkelson claimed that Russia’s strategy involves not only erasing Ukraine from the political map but also seeking to destroy Europe and drive a wedge between Europe and the United States. He stressed that countering this strategy effectively requires the West to call it what it is and take real action against it.
He also suggested that the West currently lacks the political and diplomatic will to fight — not only in terms of military support for Ukraine, but also in imposing meaningful sanctions on Russia to prevent it from dismantling the Western world.
Mihkelson added that Russia continues to test the West in various ways without changing its strategic goals. He noted that Russia is becoming more active in the Baltic Sea region, violating NATO airspace and using its so-called “shadow fleet.”
He also criticized the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump for allegedly underestimating the war’s global implications and viewing it as a distant conflict — or even as “Biden’s war.” Mihkelson warned that if Trump believes he can avoid this war, it will eventually catch up with him.
He stressed that the united West must respond collectively to Russia’s aggressive actions and should work toward a strategy that includes Ukraine and Moldova joining the European Union by 2030.
Photo: Riigikogu Press
Source: Estonian politician calls for stronger Black Sea-Baltic cooperation, strategy for Ukraine's victory
