Europe made a mistake in the spring of 2022 when it lost the best opportunity for peace negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine. This was stated by Estonian President Alar Karis in an interview with Yle.
Source: Censor.NET
According to him, after the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kyiv, there was a window of opportunity when Russia could have been forced to come to the negotiating table. Now, he noted, such conditions no longer exist.
Karis emphasized that the European Union must already prepare both for possible peace negotiations and for the post-war period.
He stressed that the EU has made significant investments in Ukraine and therefore cannot allow a situation in which future negotiations take place without Europe’s participation, while key decisions are made by the United States, Russia, and other parties.
The President of Estonia also stated that Europe needs a clear strategy regarding future relations with Russia, and the development of such plans should begin now due to the slow decision-making processes within the EU.
Comparing the situation with history, Karis noted that after World War II, Germany underwent a process of transformation and integration into Western institutions, and similar changes, in his opinion, must also take place in Russia.