Estonian lawmaker calls Abu Dhabi talks a Russian 'special operation' to weaken Europe
Photo: Talks in Abu Dhabi (Getty Images)
The chairman of the Estonian parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Marko Mihkelson, stated that the diplomatic process in Abu Dhabi is a Russian special operation aimed at escalating the war and dismantling Europe's security architecture, while the only tangible result these meetings may produce is an exchange of prisoners of war.
Talks as a "diplomatic special operation"
Mihkelson believes the negotiations in Abu Dhabi cannot be described as peace talks because Moscow has no interest in ending the war. In his assessment, Russia is using the diplomatic process to advance its own objectives.
"I believe this is purely a Russian diplomatic special operation. Russia launched it immediately after Donald Trump became US president and promised to end the war in 24 hours. Soon, 24 months will have passed, and Russia keeps raising the stakes," the politician said.
The best possible outcome of the current round, he said, would be the return of some Ukrainian prisoners of war. At the same time, Mihkelson warned against making concessions to Moscow on European security in exchange for promises of lasting peace.
What Europe should focus on
According to Mihkelson, European countries should pay more attention to providing practical assistance to Kyiv rather than arguing over who should represent them in negotiations with Moscow.
"The best representative of Europe, the best negotiator, is the Ukrainian army," he said.
The politician urged Ukraine's partners to help the country get through a difficult winter, strengthen its air defenses and provide what it needs to continue resisting Russian aggression. He also stressed the need to cover the budget deficit caused by the high cost of the war.
At the same time, Mihkelson called for increased pressure on Russia and the use of frozen Russian assets. In his view, supporting Ukraine and demonstrating a willingness to stand up to aggression are what can strengthen Europe's position.
Debate over Europe's representative
As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday that European countries must decide on their representative for peace talks in November.
As is known, Europeans are currently discussing who should represent the continent at the negotiating table with Russia. Recently, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged the EU to agree on a candidate.
In addition, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre recently held a phone call with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. It was the first such contact between European leaders and Russia, but they spoke not on behalf of Europe, but as leaders of countries neighboring Russia.
It should be noted that trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US and Russia took place in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11. European representatives are also present in the UAE, but have not yet been involved in the negotiations themselves. Yesterday, the US and Ukraine held a meeting with European representatives before the talks and have also been keeping their partners informed about the discussions.
