China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine played a role in Estonia’s decision to quit an Eastern European initiative that aimed to enhance relations with Beijing, the Baltic nation’s top diplomat said.
“It was definitely a factor that we kept in mind when making the decision. Before that, we consulted with a series of allies,” Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said in an interview in Paide, Estonia, on Saturday.
Reinsalu, a conservative who took office in July after Prime Minister Kaja Kallas forged a new coalition, is a fierce supporter of Ukraine. He discussed ideas for new EU sanctions against Russia with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit to Kyiv this month.
