We See Too Much Hesitation in Europe, Ilves Tells Biden
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves spoke to the US Vice President Joe Biden on Monday about Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.
Both Ilves and Biden noted that the present situation is a military invasion of Ukraine, and democratic nations should stand up against it in a united and proficient way.
“Unfortunately, we still see too much hesitation and fear in Europe. We must be more decisive together, in order to stand for the values that both the NATO as well as the European Union are based on and for the defense of which they were created,” Ilves said.
The Estonian head of state noted that the Ukrainian crisis affects security in all of Europe, and both NATO and EU will have to adjust their attitudes. Ilves added the US presence in the region as a deterrent becomes increasingly important.
The president and vice president also discussed possible sanctions that democratic states could use to restrain the military invasion of Crimea.