Kristen Michal, the Prime Minister of Estonia, said on the air of Euronews' English-language Europe Today program that Russian President Vladimir Putin simply “cannot afford“ to end the war in Ukraine, as this would threaten his stay in power, News.bg reports.
Michal explained that the logic of dictatorship determines Moscow's continued aggression, even against the backdrop of diplomatic efforts and peace talks. According to him, Russia's armed forces currently include “more people under arms than at the beginning of the war“ and if the conflict ends, the question arises “what would Putin do with these forces?“.
“Heroism is glorified in Russia. "If it stops, it falls," the prime minister warned, stressing that a premature peace without solid security guarantees could lead to instability both inside Russia and in Europe.
Kristen Michal also called on the European Union to unlock the promised 90 billion euros in aid for Ukraine and to increase defense investment to make Europe more united and better prepared to deal with geopolitical challenges.
The prime minister's comments come against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, now in its fourth year, and efforts by Western capitals to support Ukraine both politically and militarily as a sustainable solution is sought to end the war.