In recent days, much of Western security and foreign policy have gathered in Brussels to prepare the EU and NATO for a possible escalation of Russia in Ukraine. Estonia will be represented at these meetings by, among others, Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said the allies were assessing the situation in a similar way, but the messages needed to be harmonized.

"Despite the severity of this situation, the allies and the member states of the European Union are absolutely united in their assessment of the situation and that, indeed, if the escalation takes place, our response will be joint, swift and vigorous. In that sense, the situation is good in our view, but of course, the coordination of diplomatic positions and the coordination of messages is extremely intensive, which is happening right now. And that is what we are doing here in both NATO and the EU," Vseviov told ERR.

On Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will pay a visit to Moscow to do last-minute diplomacy to prevent war. Vseviov said that diplomacy still has a chance, and it will not end even if the worst happens.

"It is not worth assuming that there will be a moment when the talks or political maneuvering will end. As I said, this is what we are dealing with here. There are no problems with that today. On the contrary, this crisis has strengthened the EU and NATO. It has increased the unity of the allies and strengthened the cooperation of the EU and NATO. It's all encouraging but encouraging in a wider context, where there are still very serious security concerns over Europe today."

In recent days, many countries have announced the removal of their citizens from Ukraine. Several businesses are also fleeing. For example, the Dutch airline KLM stopped flights between Kiev. However, this has already caused some economic damage to Ukraine. Vseviov said that how to provide further economic assistance to Ukraine is currently being discussed.

"I fully share this view and acknowledge that the impact of this tense situation on Ukraine, on its stability and its economy in particular, is already significant. And one of the issues we discussed, especially on the part of the EU, is how we in Europe can help Ukraine through our own capabilities as well as through various international instruments and institutions. Fortunately, there is a strong awareness of this issue in Europe."

In the second half of the week, both NATO defense ministers and EU leaders will meet in Brussels.

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