On Friday, 6 February, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha held bilateral talks in Kyiv with his Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna.

The Estonian Foreign Minister began his visit to Ukraine the day before in Zhytomyr region, where he inaugurated two facilities rebuilt with Estonia’s support: a residential building for internally displaced persons in Ovruch and a modern bomb shelter on the premises of the “Sunny Home” Social and Psychological Rehabilitation Center.

Andrii Sybiha expressed his sincere gratitude to Estonia for its patronage over the reconstruction of Zhytomyr region and for the tangible results that are truly felt by Ukrainians.

The Minister described his Estonian counterpart’s visit as a “timely visit of solidarity and courage amid Russia’s winter terror.” He briefed the Estonian Foreign Minister on the difficult situation in Ukraine’s energy sector resulting from Russian strikes.

The Foreign Minister expressed his deep appreciation for the transfer of 10 high-capacity generators during the visit, as well as for Estonia’s EUR 2 million contribution in December and EUR 400,000 contribution in January to support Ukraine’s energy sector.

Andrii Sybiha also announced plans to open new Honorary Consulates of Ukraine in the Estonian cities of Tartu and Narva in 2026.

The heads of Ukrainian and Estonian diplomacy discussed peace efforts, the outcomes of meetings held in Abu Dhabi, and next steps. The sides agreed that strengthening pressure on the aggressor is essential for the success of diplomacy.

Defense cooperation was a separate topic of the talks. Andrii Sybiha noted Estonia’s leadership role in the IT Coalition. The parties discussed further development of cooperation in the fields of cybersecurity and defense technologies.

“We also highly value the firm position of the Nordic-Baltic Eight, our closest allies. This year, Estonia is coordinating this group of countries. We count on further strengthening cooperation with Ukraine, enhancing political coordination, and providing practical support in countering Russian aggression,” the Foreign Minister stated.

The parties also discussed tools to maximize the effectiveness of the EU’s 20th sanctions package. According to Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine expects the new sanctions package to be painful for the Russian economy, which is already entering a phase of deep recession. He also expressed support for Estonia’s initiative to ban entry to Europe for participants in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine separately thanked Estonia for joining the Steering Committee of the Special Tribunal, noting that this step once again demonstrates true leadership on the accountability track and in strengthening pressure on the aggressor.