The head of government said that a lot of attention was given to new sanctions, which will also target energy carriers. “I hope that a formal decision in regard to them will be taken in the coming days,” he added. “Every new sanction depletes the oxygen Russia needs to continue its campaign. I am gratified to see that the package of sanctions includes a number of proposals that were put forward by Estonia. We also need to lower the price cap on oil.”
Prime Minister Michal says a strong signal has been sent in regard to the enlargement of the European Union, which is moving forward with both Ukraine and Moldova. “Apart from Hungary, no one is arguing that Ukraine has done what was asked of it and that we should open negotiations,” he remarked. “We need to put joint pressure on Hungary. Orban’s ‘referendum’ on Ukraine was a farce.”
The head of government feels that opening accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova is the right thing to do not just from an economic perspective, but from that of security and justice as well. “The Ukrainians have been fighting a war against evil for more than three years now and are defending the same values as the EU,” he noted. “They are undoubtedly part of the family to which we all belong. Opening negotiations would send a clear message to the people of Ukraine that they are fighting for the right thing and for a better future.”
Prime Minister Michal says people have come to understand that securing Europe’s eastern border is in the interest of everyone on the continent. “It is the first line of defence for the EU and NATO as a whole, and should form part of the EU’s common defence projects,” he remarked. “We should also be pursuing closer cooperation in the fight against Russia’s shadow fleet.”
The head of government noted that the outcome of the NATO summit means that plans now have to be transformed into actual capabilities. “We have no time to waste,” he added. “Restrictions must not be allowed to hold back defence and industry, and we must give more opportunities to smaller innovative companies.”
An important part of boosting defence capabilities in Prime Minister Michal’s view is streamlining the rules of business and movement of arms components, as is speeding up authorisation procedures for defence projects. “Estonia has already started simplifying its national rules, and we need to quickly move forward on the single market,” he urged.
The head of government stressed that climate policy must be realistic. “Back in March, I said that it should be viewed in line with competitiveness,” he explained. “A lot of other countries have since come to the same understanding.”
Further issues discussed by the leaders attending the meeting were the EU’s competitiveness and external trade, migration, internal security and the situation in the Middle East. While in Brussels, Prime Minister Michal also met with colleagues from the Baltic States, the Nordic countries, Germany, Poland and Ireland.
Photo: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCjnPi
