Russia has occupied territory of neighbouring country and achieved its goal as aggressor, Estonian Defence Forces chief says

Andrus Merilo, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, believes that Russia, as the aggressor country, has achieved its goal because it has sent a signal to the world about the "normalcy" of occupying the territory of another state.

Source: Merilo in an interview with Baltic states news website Delfi, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Merilo remarked that Russia's occupation of a neighbouring country sends a clear signal to the world that such actions are becoming normalised, with the likelihood that, through negotiations, the occupied territory will remain under Russian control for some time.

Merilo believes this is a message to other states, which may now consider that they also have grounds to start a conflict over some old issue or take something away from their neighbour.

"This completely changes the entire security architecture in the world," he said.

"Russia will have a good excuse to try to achieve its strategic goals elsewhere because it has worked with Ukraine. What Russia pays for it in Ukraine – hundreds of thousands of dead, severely wounded and a depleted economy – does not really bother it. It's creating a new strategic position in the world, and it will be impossible to reverse it in the near future," Merilo added.

He added that if the war in Ukraine ends in a frozen conflict, Russia will be a winner in the eyes of many countries.

Background:

• On 19 December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that formats for ending the current phase of the war with Russia, which would be reduced to a "freeze" of hostilities, were unacceptable to Kyiv.
• At the same time, Zelenskyy expressed his readiness to agree to a freeze in the war with Russia if only the Ukrainian-controlled territory is brought "under the NATO umbrella".

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