Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, left, welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a summit in Tallinn, Estonia, Tuesday. Photo by Valda Kalnina/EPA
June 9 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska traveled to Talinn, Estonia, Tuesday to take part in the Ukraine-Nordic-Baltic Eight summit and meet with other regional leaders.
Zelensky is boosting diplomatic efforts as he pushes for more support for Ukraine’s war against Russia.
The Ukrainian president met Tuesday with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, his spokesperson Sherhii Nykyforov told the Kyiv Independent. The meetings covered issues like strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and advancing the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List program, which allows NATO allies to finance buying of U.S. weapons.
Zelensky also met with Estonian President Alar Karis and thanked the country and others in the region for their continued support.
Zelensky also emphasized the need to coordinate positions ahead of upcoming summits this summer, including the European Union, G7 and NATO summits.
“June and July this year may determine a lot,” he told reporters at a press conference.
“For a cease-fire to take place, in my view, it would be better to have a meeting at the leadership level. Who? Certainly Ukraine, Russia and definitely Europe,” the Ukrainian state news service Ukrinform reported Zelensky said. “It would be desirable for the United States of America to be there as well. Why Europe? Because we are in Europe — that is the answer. Because this is our land, this is our continent, and we must be certain that life will be safe tomorrow, no matter what.”
He added that Ukraine has the political will to negotiate, but Russia hasn’t shown that.
“The 21st package of EU sanctions is necessary. And today we also discussed that the Baltic Sea and the North Sea must not be a free zone for the Russian shadow fleet. And all decisions that curtail the activity of Russian tankers are decisions that benefit not only Ukraine but all of Europe,” the Ukrainian president said.
Zelensky recently sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking to meet face to face for peace talks, but Putin declined.
