Estonia PM avers EU leaders had heated debate on issue of calling Putin at Brussels summit

Amid the ongoing brutal war in Eastern Europe, Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas claimed that European leaders had a heated debate on the issue of making a telephonic call to the Russian President. Speaking about regular telephonic conversations between the leaders of France and Germany with Vladimir Putin, the Estonian Prime Minister asserted that European leaders had a serious discussion over the issue during the two-day EU summit in Brussels. According to her, European leaders argued that while the 27-member bloc has good intentions but Putin does not want to take any steps to end the ongoing war. 

"I was also able to put across my views on what the so-called benefits of doing this had been so far. However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanual Macron say they are calling on Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as Putin doesn't speak to Ukraine. Plus, I also understand that Zelenskyy would ask them to be a mediator," Kallas remarked, as per ERR News. Meanwhile, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski Vel Sek has also criticised the telephonic conversations between Scholz, Macron and Putin. Vel Sek termed the talks as "meaningless" stating they don't help Ukraine in any way. 

EU downplays chances of Russian gas embargo in next round of sanction

Earlier on May 31, EU leaders downplayed the chances of a restriction on Russian gas being included in the next round of sanctions. They claimed that enforcing a gas embargo on Russia would be extremely difficult as of now. At the two-day Brussels summit, the European Council agreed on the sixth round of sanctions package which is expected to cut around two-thirds of oil imports from Russia to the EU member states. “I wish to see an embargo on Russian gas in the seventh package. But I am a realist as well, I don’t think it will be there,” Estonian Prime Minister Kallas added. 

Europe's unity will ensure Ukraine's victory against Russia: Estonian Prez Karis

Meanwhile, Estonian President Alar Karis claimed that Ukraine's victory against Russia will not be far if Europe manages to stay united. Karis responded to allegations that Germany and France were doing too little to help Ukraine by stating that large countries take time to transform. According to him, the outcome of the ongoing war would be determined by the military, humanitarian, and political help that the West can provide to war-torn Ukraine. 

Image: AP