Estonian PM: The faster Russian refineries are blown to smithereens, the better

Estonia continues to insist that Russian oil refineries and energy facilities should be destroyed because they fund Russia's war against Ukraine.

Source: Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal ahead of a European Council meeting on 15 October, as reported by European Pravda's Brussels correspondent

Details: Michal repeated an argument he has made before: that Russian oil refineries must be destroyed because sales of energy finance the war.

Quote: "I have said publicly in Estonia that the faster all the Russian refineries and ability to sell energy will be blown to smithereens, the better. Because Russia is funding the war with that."

Details: Michal stressed that Estonia relies on the US as a partner and NATO ally that assists with security matters.

"We rely on them. And also sometimes even good friends need a remind[er of] what is right," the Estonian minister said.

Michal mentioned that Estonia shares a border with Russia and has the support of the three nuclear powers within NATO: the US, UK and France.

Quote: "We have had shadow fleet cutting our cables, different kind of pipelines. We have had Russian fighter jets in our airspace. We have even had to shoot down different drones in our airspace. They all came. Help came from NATO… So, basing on that, I must say that NATO is working well and the US is a partner in NATO. Trump has assured us and everybody else last time in Ankara that he is following NATO and also Article 5."

Background:

• The European Council is meeting in Brussels on 15-16 October. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend on 16 October.
• No additional decisions regarding financial aid for Ukraine are planned to be made at the meeting, and the question of using frozen Russian assets is not on the leaders' formal agenda, although the topic may be raised during the discussions.
• European Pravda previously reported that the European Council plans to call for stricter visa requirements for Russian citizens.
• The European Council will also "express regret over the agreement reached between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on the supply of Russian diesel".

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