BRUSSELS, December 3. /TASS/. Estonia will send its military contingent to Ukraine if the coalition of the willing decides to use foreign troops in the country for security guarantees in the future, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.
"The Estonian government has already <…> decided that if there is a need in the formation of the coalition of the willing’s security guarantees [to] put boots on the ground we will participate," Tsahkna told reporters upon his arrival at the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
According to the top Estonian diplomat, Europe must take part in providing security guarantees to Ukraine if an agreement is reached to end the conflict with US mediation. Putting boots on the ground will be a necessary step toward that, Tsahkna believes.
"If we can keep the peace in Ukraine, then we will secure it in Europe as well," Tsahkna emphasized. Russia will remain a long-term threat to Estonia, he added.
Earlier, in a joint statement issued after consultations in London, the foreign ministers of the UK, Spain, Italy, Poland, France, Germany, and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to "robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine," including the possibility of forming a coalition of air, land, and sea deterrence forces to help build confidence in any future settlement and support the rebuilding of the Ukrainian army.
Russia’s top diplomat Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly stated that the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian territory, under any flag and in any capacity, would pose a threat to Russia and would be unacceptable to Moscow under any circumstances.