Russia aims to reshape Europe’s security order to fit its ambitions — Estonian President
Photo: Estonian President Alar Karis (Getty Images)
During a meeting of the UN Security Council, Estonian President Alar Karis emphasized that the Kremlin's aggression extends far beyond Ukraine and threatens the security of all of Europe.
Karis says Russia's recent violations of the airspace of Estonia, Poland, and Romania are a further step toward escalation and a stark reminder that Russia's aggression threatens not only Ukraine but the security of the entire region.
The Estonian President thanks over 50 countries that called Russia's actions dangerous, reckless, and in violation of international law. He stresses that the Kremlin is not interested in peace and security in Ukraine or Europe.
Karis recalls that Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire in March, while Russia has never shown any willingness to make peace.
The Estonian leader believes that Russia wants to subjugate all of Ukraine and reformat the European security order to satisfy its own neocolonial and imperial ambitions.
According to Karis, the only way to achieve a truce and lasting peace is to increase international pressure on Russia. He also stressed that the Kremlin must be held accountable for its aggression and war crimes.
The Estonian President says there can be no lasting peace without accountability — just as there can be no justice.
Violation of airspace by Russian aircraft
On August 13, during an attack on Ukraine, a Russian drone flew into Romanian airspace and was detected over the Odesa region.
Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that a Russian drone had violated Romanian airspace and remained there for about 50 minutes.
On the night of September 10, over 20 Russian drones violated Polish airspace.
On September 19, Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace near Tallinn. They remained in the country's airspace for about 12 minutes.
On the evening of September 22, several unidentified drones violated Danish airspace, causing Copenhagen Airport to suspend operations for nearly four hours.
In addition, on the night of September 23, Gardermoen Airport in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, was shut down. This was also due to the detection of several drones.
In connection with the Russian incursions, Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU intends to build a wall of drones on the eastern flank of the bloc. The EU will also monitor developments in Eastern Europe.
