Estonian FM says Russia “not interested in peace”, urges EU to tighten sanctions

Russia’s refusal to agree to a proposed ceasefire in Ukraine shows that Moscow is not interested in peace, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has stated.

The FM said Russia’s initiative for a ceasefire was merely an attempt to hold its May 9 parade without disruption, Caliber.Az reports, citing Estonian media.

However, he argued that the limited scale of this year’s celebrations only highlights the weakness of the Russian regime.

Tsahkna noted that Kyiv had proposed a sustainable ceasefire starting on the night of May 6, but Russia rejected the offer and instead carried out a large-scale strike on Ukraine, using more than 100 drones and missiles.

“By continuing attacks overnight, Russia has confirmed that it is not interested in real peace. As expected, its own ceasefire proposal for May 8–9 was not intended to begin negotiations, but solely to allow an unhindered annual propaganda parade on Red Square,” Tsahkna noted.

He also claimed that preparations for this year’s parade reflect internal uncertainty within the Kremlin.

“Russia has always sought to portray itself as a powerful military state, and the Victory Day parade in Moscow has been a key element of that image. The fact that, for the first time in a decade, the parade is planned on a reduced scale, without a significant amount of military equipment and with unprecedented security measures, shows how weak Russia is and how much fear it has of Ukraine,” he added.

The minister called on the European Union to intensify sanctions pressure, including the preparation of a new package of restrictions, and to ensure accountability for Russia over the war.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov