In a significant statement, Estonian Defence Minister, Hanno Pevkur, has urged Western nations to reframe their support for Ukraine, calling for a shift from merely sustaining the conflict to actively ensuring Ukraine’s victory.
Speaking at the GLOBSEC conference in Prague, Pevkur highlighted a fundamental issue with the current Western approach: the lack of a clear political decision regarding the ultimate goal of their support.
Pevkur intervened in ongoing discussions about the “strategic ambiguity” surrounding Western assistance to Ukraine. He noted that while Western partners frequently express their commitment to providing Ukraine with “the necessary aid for as long as it takes,” they deliberately avoid specifying the desired outcome. This ambiguity, according to Pevkur, hampers effective support for Ukraine, as it fails to address the core objective of the assistance.
“The key question that we, as politicians, need to answer for ourselves is whether we want Ukraine to continue fighting or whether we want Ukraine to win. We lack a political decision affirming that we want Ukraine to win. Once that decision is made, the next steps become clear,” Pevkur stated.
He asserted that defining Ukraine’s victory as the goal would enable the West to adopt a coherent strategy geared towards achieving that outcome. Pevkur pointed out that Estonia, which officially aims for Ukraine’s victory, has already taken such steps.
At @GLOBSEC today: «I’m sorry but we’re not giving Ukraine everything that they need. And the limitations…they are stupid. This is something I don’t understand. This puts ukrainians to fight with one hand behind the back.» pic.twitter.com/BFH4FNxFcY
— Hanno Pevkur (@HPevkur) August 31, 2024
“Our proposed strategy includes, among other things, allocating 0.25% of GDP towards aid for Ukraine,” Pevkur said, expressing confidence that this level of commitment would be sufficient to supply the necessary weapons to Ukraine.
Pevkur emphasised that the problem does not lie with Ukraine’s strategy, as Ukraine knows what it needs to do. Instead, the issue is the lack of funds, weaponry, and, in some cases, “idiotic restrictions” that hinder effective support, he added.
The call for a clear commitment to Ukraine’s victory is not widely echoed among Western politicians and officials, with only a few, including Estonia’s new Prime Minister, Kristen Michal, publicly advocating for such a stance. This perspective aligns with Estonia’s broader political approach, which has consistently been one of the most supportive of Ukraine within the European Union.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his intention to present a “Victory Plan” to U.S. President Joe Biden and other presidential candidates, including Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. This plan would likely outline the necessary steps and resources required to secure Ukraine’s victory in its ongoing war against Russia.
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