Russia must retreat from Ukraine like Moscow did in Afghanistan in the 1980s, Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said Monday.
The leader of the Baltic country, which borders Russia and has been among Ukraine’s top weapons providers, indicated that the war will come to an end when Russian troops retreat.
“The war will end when Russia understands it has made a mistake, like they did in Afghanistan when they withdrew after 10 years,” Kallas said in an interview conducted by POLITICO during the Copenhagen Democracy Summit.
The Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan between 1988 and 1989 after almost a decade of fighting, amid a faltering military campaign and a dire economic situation at home.
“If you think that this all started in 2014 [with Russia’s annexation of Crimea], we are almost 10 years [along],” added Kallas.
The Estonian leader urged EU countries to continue supporting Ukraine “to send a message to Russia that you can’t win, and they can’t bend the will of Ukrainians either.’’
Taking a shot at EU countries who are less committed to defending Ukraine, Kallas rolled her eyes — prompting laughter among the audience — when asked about unnamed EU leaders who want to give guarantees to Russia.
Referring to China’s possible role in bringing peace, Kallas said: “There’s one aggressor and victim here. Making it all blurry is not in anybody’s interest. But I think of course, it is better to have China on our side. And we have to work toward that.”
