Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that the inclusion of the issue of Russian combatants in the conclusions of the European Council held today, 19 March, shows that Estonia has brought an entirely new topic to the forefront of attention in Europe and has, in a short period of time, managed to secure support for it among EU member states.
“European countries had not given much thought to what would happen if Russia’s aggression against Ukraine were to end and the Russian combatants currently fighting on the front line were to return first to Russian society, where they cannot be rehabilitated or offered prospects for the future, and from where they would then begin to seek a way out, most likely primarily towards Europe,” Tsahkna said.
“Estonia has taken a leading role on this issue and has to date imposed entry bans to the Schengen area on more than 1,300 Russian combatants,” the foreign minister said. “We have drawn attention to the fact that Russian combatants pose a serious threat to the internal security of European countries, as they are individuals with combat experience and hostile attitudes towards Europe, and thus constitute a convenient recruitment pool for Russian intelligence services.”
“Estonia’s message has been that Russian fighters who have fought against Ukraine must have no place in Europe,” Tsahkna stressed. “As a significant step, the conclusions of the European Council meeting taking place in Brussels today note that combatants who have taken part in Russia’s military activities pose a potential threat to the internal security of the European Union and call on the European Commission to propose solutions to address this issue.”
According to the foreign minister, this means that the European Commission has now been given a clear mandate to address the matter and to seek solutions to prevent Russian combatants from entering Europe.
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