Lack of confidence is the main problem in relations between Russia and the European Union, says Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paest.
“Mutual confidence is a key issue in relations of Western Europe, NATO, and the EU with Russia. There is no such confidence now,” Paet said in an interview with Interfax.
This is seen, in particular, from the situation surrounding Ukraine and the EU’s Eastern Partnership program, he said.
“Once again confrontation is developing between the EU and Russia on issues where, in the EU’s view, there should be no confrontation at all,” he said.
“Certainly, no one in the European Union views the possibility that Ukraine or other Eastern Partnership countries could conclude association and free trade agreements with the EU as anti-Russian steps. But Russia sees this precisely from this viewpoint today, and it sees this as a threat to its interests, and this can explain its behavior that we are witnessing now. And this in turn leads to misunderstandings in the EU,” he said.
“This is the most recent example of a deficit of confidence when the conclusion of association and free trade agreements is seen from absolutely opposite viewpoints,” he said.
A meeting between the EU and Russian foreign ministers, which, in particular, addressed Ukraine, is another example of this phenomenon, he said.
“This is reminiscent of a situation in which someone says one thing and another something different, and they don’t hear each other,” he said.
“But this is also an example of confrontation and absolute misunderstanding appearing suddenly when there are absolutely no reasons for this. There is the impression that the Russian political leadership sees relations with the European Union and NATO in a considerably different way than the EU and NATO see their relations with Russia,” Paet said.
