Estonian Expert Kristi Raik: Russia Knows Full Well That Europe Has Grown Stronger
In an interview with Estonian public broadcaster ERR, Kristi Raik says Russia shows no readiness to compromise in Ukraine peace talks, and that Europe must increase pressure on Moscow and prepare to manage without the US.
Kristi Raik gave an interview to the Russian-language service of Estonia's public broadcaster ERR, assessing the prospects for peace talks over Russia's war in Ukraine. She said technical negotiations could resume in November, after the US midterm elections, but that there is little cause for optimism because nothing suggests Russia is ready to make concessions.
Russia's goals and the US position
Raik believes the aims of Russian President Vladimir Putin have not changed: Ukraine must meet Moscow's demands, cede the territories it wants and give up part of its sovereignty. In recent weeks, she said, Russia has become bolder in hoping to sway the US position in its favour.
She noted that after talks in Oslo, US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to Russia with positions acceptable to Ukraine and Europe, but Russia said it saw nothing in them that would bring peace closer. Raik described Witkoff's calling Putin a humanist as unacceptable for a diplomat and linked it to Trump's wish to keep friendly ties with Putin and prepare business deals with Russia. As an example she cited reports of a desire to restore the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
Raik also thinks US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's remarks, describing the war as a small regional conflict in Donbas, reflect the Trump administration's wish to present it as merely a territorial question. In her view, handing territory to Russia would solve nothing.
Security guarantees and Europe's role
Raik said Ukraine needs real security guarantees, not ones like those given in Budapest in 1994. It is currently unclear what guarantees the US is offering, and the impression is that Washington expects Europe to take responsibility for European and Ukrainian security in future. Europe therefore must be ready to manage without the US.
On the humanitarian truce in Oleshky reported to have been achieved by US First Lady Melania Trump, Raik said it changes nothing overall and may let Russia present itself in a good light. She stressed that Europe has tools to increase pressure and that Russia understands very well that Europe has become stronger.
