Foreign minister discusses Ukraine with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) held his first phone call with new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday.
Tsahkna congratulated Rubio on his appointment and said he was looking forward to working together.
The ministers spoke about the political, economic and security cooperation between Estonia and the United States, global challenges, and Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
Tsahkna said Ukraine's victory would benefit both European and U.S. security and their economies. He added it was crucial to continue providing military support to Ukraine while reducing Russia's ability to fund its war.
"Russia's economy is already doing very badly. Increased economic pressure would bring Ukraine's victory closer," he said.
The minister stressed that Europe and the U.S. needed to stay united to "successfully address" the growing cooperation between authoritarian regimes and other challenges facing the democratic world.
A very good talk today with the Secretary of State @SecRubio about global security challenges, strengthening transatlantic cooperation, putting Ukraine in a position of strength & pressuring Russia to change course.
— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) January 28, 2025
We are stronger when we act together. pic.twitter.com/eRIMZGbaS0
"Russia's aggression and the inclusion of North Korean soldiers in hostilities on European soil proves that the security of North America, Europe and the Pacific are closely related," Tsahkna said.
"Paralyzing the cooperation between Russia and its partners who support its hostilities is crucial for the security of the entire democratic world."
The foreign minister also recalled his previous meeting with Rubio in Washington DC, when he was serving as Estonia's defense minister from 2016-2017.
Tsahkna said Estonia is very serious about defending itself and the government has set a goal to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP. He also recognized the contribution the USA has made to Estonia's security so far.
Boosting economic cooperation between Estonia and the United States, particularly on energy, was also discussed.
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Editor: Helen Wright