Rõivas in Kyiv: Events in Ukraine important for Estonian people
Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas was in Kyiv over the weekend at the one-year anniversary event of the Maidan protest escalations.
“The events in Ukraine greatly matter to the Estonian people,” Rõivas told Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. “It is sad to see a year after the Maidan events that Ukraine is de facto at war.”
“Military conflict on European soil is something we held impossible only a few years ago. Looking at the event in Ukraine during the last year and the recent events in eastern Ukraine, it is clear Russian aggression has led to a fundamental shift in the security situation in Europe,” he said.
“Estonia very clearly remembers what it means to have foreign powers in its state. For that Estonia's support for Ukraine is resolute,” Rõivas said.
Rõivas was in Kyiv with a number of EU leaders including the presidents of Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Moldova and Georgia.
Protests on the Maidan square in Kyiv began in November 21, 2013 and culminated at the end of February a year ago when snipers began firing on protesters and police, which in turn led to the collapse of the pro-Russian government, the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Editor: J.M. Laats