On February 2-3, in Tartu, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Estonia, Maksym Kononenko, participated in a meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, and Ukraine, representing the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

It is symbolic that the heads of parliaments of the states bordering Russia gathered in the Senate Hall of the University of Tartu at a time when all of Estonia is marking the 105th anniversary of the Tartu Peace Treaty with Russia. During the meeting, they discussed joint steps to further support Ukraine and counter Russia’s hybrid activities, including acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea and other hybrid operations that have taken place in recent months.

As Lauri Hussar, Speaker of the Riigikogu, noted, to achieve a just peace, the Western world must now focus on fully supporting Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor and do much more by strengthening and more effectively enforcing sanctions to deprive russia of the economic means to continue the war. During the meeting, the speakers also discussed support for Ukraine on its path to EU and NATO membership.

The meeting of the parliamentary speakers also covered relations with the United States and the situation in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Belarus.

As a result of the meeting, a Joint Declaration was adopted on on further supporting Ukraine and on Russia´s hybrid activities in Europe. The full text in English is available at the following link: https://www.riigikogu.ee/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Joint-Declaration-03.02.2025.pdf.

The main message of the document is that the countries will continue to provide comprehensive support to Ukraine and strengthen cooperation to prevent and counter Russian hybrid operations.

The Speakers of the Parliaments expressed their support for the Victory Plan presented by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the implementation of which will create the necessary conditions for realizing the peace plan, which is the only viable plan for achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine. They also committed to doing everything possible to achieve consensus among NATO members regarding Ukraine's invitation to join the Alliance and confirmed their dedication to supporting Ukraine on its path to full EU membership: ‘’We expect a successful screening process and the swift opening of negotiation chapters during Poland's presidency of the EU Council’’.

After the meeting, a joint press conference of the speakers was held, in which Ambassador of Ukraine, Maksym Kononenko, also participated.

The Ambassador also participated in a meeting between the speakers of the parliaments and students and faculty members of the University of Tartu, where he delivered a speech on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and called for support for Ukraine.

In his speech, Maksym Kononenko stated: ‘’...that the war can only be ended by forcing Russia to stop it. Any realistic scenario must include two key components: the strengthening of sanctions and the isolation of Russia, as well as increasing military support for Ukraine. There are no other solutions.

Another key component is reliable long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.’’