TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, on Tuesday to participate in a summit involving Nordic and Baltic leaders. During his visit, he also held a meeting with Estonian President Alar Karis. Estonia is currently hosting the summit, capitalizing on its role as the rotating president of the NB8, a regional alliance comprising the five Nordic countries and three Baltic states. This gathering included the prime ministers from the bloc as well as President Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian leader was accompanied by his wife, Olena Zelenska, who received a warm welcome from Estonia’s Foreign Ministry through a post on the social media platform X. This visit coincides with rising tensions involving Ukrainian drones that have entered the region multiple times in recent months. Ukraine has increased its strikes on Baltic Sea ports that Russia uses to export oil, aiming to impose economic penalties on Moscow due to its ongoing military operations in Ukraine.
Alongside the diplomatic discussions taking place in Tallinn, Russia has intensified its military strikes across Ukraine. In the northeastern Kharkiv region, three individuals lost their lives, and 25 others, including three children, were injured in recent attacks. The regional head, Oleh Syniehubov, affirmed the casualties over the past 24 hours. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, three more injuries were reported following assaults on several districts overnight, as indicated by the regional administrator, Oleksandr Hanzha.
During a recent night attack, Russia launched 166 long-range strike drones and two guided missiles targeting Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian air force, their defenses successfully intercepted 146 of those drones. Conversely, Russia's Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses downed 140 Ukrainian drones in the same timeframe, with an incident involving a Ukrainian drone resulting in a fatality of a woman who was struck when the drone hit an apartment building in Russia's Belgorod region.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was also present in Tallinn, where he engaged in talks with his Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna. Their discussions centered on Ukraine’s security, the need for increased pressure on Russia, and Ukraine's aspirations to join the European Union. Tsahkna stated on social media that Estonia would continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary, underlining that with President Vladimir Putin escalating attacks, the focus should be on intensifying pressure rather than offering concessions.
In May, Tsahkna reiterated Estonia's support for Ukraine's EU membership bid, emphasizing the need to progress within the bloc. Separately, President Zelenskyy reported having held productive discussions with U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during a layover in Moldova’s capital. He described their conversations as focusing on potential diplomatic avenues to end the war, particularly in light of the upcoming Group of Seven summit. Zelenskyy briefed the U.S. officials on Ukraine's evaluation of Russia's intentions, further highlighting the international efforts being made to address the conflict.
