EU Ambassador to Ukraine: Kremlin does not favor fully independent Ukraine

EU Ambassador to Ukraine Mati Maasikas talks to APE-MPE from Kyiv about the first days of the war, but also about the situation now.

“A fully independent Ukraine is not something that the Kremlin sees very favorably. Well, yes, I thought Russia would invade. At the same time, it was very clear to anyone who wanted to see that the Ukrainians would resist and resist strongly,” he said. Maasikas, while pointing out that the percentages of Volodymyr Zelensky now exceed 90%. At the same time, it notes the unity that the EU can show in difficult times and looks back to 2014 and the European sanctions that were then decided against Russia for the annexation of Crimea. At that time, he was the Permanent Representative of Estonia to the EU, while Greece had the rotating presidency of the EU. In fact, he specifically refers to his Greek colleague, Theodoros Sotiropoulos.

In anticipation of Europe Day on 9 May, the EU Ambassador stated that “peace is not the absence of war. Peace is a daily task to make achievements sustainable, to strengthen institutions, to strengthen cooperation and “Strengthen our defenses so that peace can be sustained. It is therefore a very sad but relevant reminder that we need to do more to maintain peace on our continent.”

The interview of the EU Ambassador to Ukraine, Mati Maasikas, was given by the correspondent of APE-MPE in Brussels, Irini Zarkadoula.

Q: I would like you to describe the situation and what you have experienced since the start of the war on February 24 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what you have gone through until the EU flag is raised again in Kyiv and what is the situation this year? dot.

Mati Maasikas: On February 24, I, like everyone in Kyiv, woke up to the explosions. An experience that we Europeans thought we would never experience again. It is no secret that the first days and weeks in Kyiv were very intense. Kyiv came under direct attack, an attempt was made to occupy the capital.

Almost all embassies in Kyiv were evacuated. With one exception, the Polish ambassador who stayed in Kyiv.

We set up a hub in Rzeszow, in southeastern Poland, closer to the Ukrainian border, to coordinate humanitarian aid, to coordinate international cooperation from there.

As soon as the artillery attacks on Kyiv stopped in early April, I returned. In diplomacy, added value comes from presence. You have to be there.

This great city (Kyiv) is opening up, people are coming back, restaurants and cafes are opening up. I’m not saying it ‘s back to normal, it can not be normal. It is the capital of a country at war and the Russians have made it clear that any point in Ukraine can be targeted by missiles, but that is where we are working.

Q: How has your daily life been since you returned?

MM: At least once a day we go to the shelters, because the sirens still sound. But for a while. Kyiv was hit only once during this period. It was typically the day UN Secretary-General Guterres was in town.

My daily job is the daily job of a diplomat. I go out to meet people, the Ukrainian authorities, I plan and I encourage EU support to Ukraine in this very tense period.

“I believed that Russia would invade Ukraine”

Q: Could you believe before the start of this war that Putin would invade Ukraine and that the Ukrainians could show such resistance?

MM: Yes and yes. There was enough information about Russia’s plan that was communicated to and from the allies. Ukraine has always had a special place in Russia’s imperial ambitions. A fully independent Ukraine is not something that the Kremlin views very favorably. Well, yes, I thought Russia would invade. At the same time, it was very clear to anyone who wanted to see that the Ukrainians would strongly resist.

Ukraine has been at war since 2014, when the Russians illegally annexed Crimea and launched a war that shifted to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Ukrainians used the time (that passed) to create an army that is very capable.

Q: Everyone knew President Zelensky, “a President Zelensky” who could not even imagine. He is considered a hero all over the world right now. From day one, he was not willing to leave his people.

MM: The administration of President Zelensky is considered excellent. Stayed there, Kyiv was immediately attacked. There were plans to occupy the government buildings, the government district where the presidential office is located. This was known. It also took a lot of courage to stay. He leads his nation, he does the best: he speaks, he inspires, not only his own people, but he has communication and contacts with world leaders and Parliaments.

His acceptance rates have risen to over 90% and many people who were skeptical of his personality and presidency now say he has responded to the challenge.

Q: Do you think that Ukraine is satisfied with the EU, with the humanitarian aid, with the financial or military aid or even with the process of the candidate country in order for Ukraine to become a member of the EU?

MM: It is. It must be said. Recently, Foreign Minister Kuleba spoke of a trinity – like the coat of arms of Ukraine – of wishes: arms deliveries, sanctions against Russia and the prospect of Ukraine joining.

The EU has also responded to the challenge. The EU has had a peace plan for decades. It now coordinates its Member States’ military assistance to Ukraine and finances it with € 1.5 billion so far. And maybe even more.

The EU has imposed sanctions on Russia in areas that were previously unthinkable, such as the removal of Russian banks from the swift system. As we speak, on Friday 6 May, Member States are discussing a new package of sanctions that also includes a ban on Russian oil imports. It concerns the energy sector. I mention this because that is exactly what Ukraine has always been asking for.

The application process signed by President Zelensky in the darkest hour, the fifth day of the war, proceeded at an unprecedented pace. For those of us who know the history and process of enlargement, it has moved very fast. It also helped that, given that we have a very deep and comprehensive association agreement that has been in force for five years, we already know a lot about Ukraine from what a candidate country needs to achieve.

This process is in the hands of the Commission, which assesses Ukraine’s compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, and the Ukrainians, of course, are waiting for the results of this evaluation and then the verdict of the Member States as soon as possible.

“The EU can act together in the darkest hours”

Q: Despite strong sanctions packages and unprecedented unity in the EU, there are still some anti-EU critics who talk about bureaucracy and that it is slow. What do you answer to them?

MM: See how quickly and smoothly these packages are adopted. See the first reaction πρώτο The first European Council convened less than 12 hours after the start of the war. Look at how the Commission came up with a plan to reduce our dependence on Russian energy providers. In the darkest hours, the EU can act together.

I was representing my country in the EU in 2014, when Russia illegally annexed Crimea and the first sanctions packages were approved. It was the Greek Presidency that led these discussions and my good Greek colleague Theodoros Sotiropoulos, as a Greek ambassador, very steadily and very smoothly coordinated the decisions. Thus, the EU in the most serious moments is able to act together.

“We must do more to maintain peace on our continent”

Q: Monday 9 May is Europe Day. We celebrate peace and unity, but now we have war in our neighborhood. What does Europe Day mean this year?

MM: Even more needs to be done to keep the peace. Peace does not mean the absence of war. Peace is a daily task to achieve achievements, to strengthen institutions, to strengthen cooperation and also to strengthen our defense, so that peace can be sustainable. It is therefore a very sad but relevant reminder that we need to do more to maintain peace on our continent.

Source: AMPE