To End the War in Ukraine, Follow Estonia, Not France
Before talking to Vladimir Putin, the West should listen to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, not French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron is wrong, Kallas is right.
Photographers: Ludovic Marin/AFP and Leon Neal via Getty Images
Ever since Russian President Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine without any provocation — and even before then — a certain type of politician and pundit has been demanding that Kyiv and the West “negotiate” with the Kremlin. There are no “military solutions” to this war, or to any conflict with Russia, only “diplomatic” ones, goes the narrative. Anyone who doesn’t get that, by implication, just doesn’t want “peace” badly enough.
Others counter that this line of reasoning flips reality on its head. If there’s anything “the West” has done in profusion since Putin came to power two decades ago — and kept trying to do since his invasion this year — it’s talk. Just think of the pilgrimages to Minsk in 2014-15 by the leaders of Germany and France, or the queue of Western leaders trying to talk Putin out of invading earlier this year.