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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 14:32

Mikser: Kremlin prefers solutions in Eastern Ukraine that don’t involve military invasion

BC, Tallinn, 13.08.2014.Print version
Estonian Defence Minister Sven Mikser says that Russia will try to achieve its strategic objectives in Eastern Ukraine without military invasion as long as President Vladimir Putin thinks this brings success, LETA/Postimees Online reports.

"If the Kremlin succeeds in achieving its strategic goals, or they believe that they can achieve their strategic goals without direct military invasion, then they will prefer those solutions which do not include direct military invasion," Mikser said in an interview with Postimees.

 

"The Kremlin has so far supported the separatists in a more hidden way, bringing people and weapons to Eastern Ukraine and giving other assistance. If they believe that in this way they are able to achieve success, then they prefer such line of action. If Putin or his inner circle feel that in this way, it is not possible to achieve success, then we have to be ready that something will be done that goes beyond that. "

 

Mikser says he does not think likely that Russia wants to merge more Ukrainian regions with it. "I do not think that the goal would be conquering additional land and expanding Russia like it was done in the Crimea. Certainly, one of the aims of Putin is that Ukraine would not be completely controlled by the central government, that Russia would be able to influence politics in the future Ukraine and intervene in it. "

 

Mikser yesterday met with Finnish Defence Minister Carl Haglund in Finland to discuss the lessons from the crisis in Ukraine and conclusions to the Baltic region's security. Mikser said that both Estonia and Finland's position is that in the Baltic Sea region, the warning period in case of a crisis is taken to minimum. "This means that European Union states and NATO too must in reality increase their awareness of the situation and significantly improve their ability to respond quickly," he added.






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