Estonian FM Tsahkna: US has stepped back from leading Russia-Ukraine peace process

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna says the United States has withdrawn from leading the Russia-Ukraine peace process. He warned that Russia is attempting to draw Europe into a mediator role as a way to escape sanctions.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has stated that the United States is no longer at the helm of the Russia-Ukraine peace process, marking a significant shift in Western diplomatic engagement with the ongoing conflict.

According to Tsahkna, Russia is actively trying to pull Europe into the role of peace mediator — a move he views as a calculated strategy to ease pressure from international sanctions rather than a genuine pursuit of peace.

The foreign minister's remarks highlight growing concern among European nations about how the diplomatic landscape is shifting as Washington appears to be stepping back from its previously central role in coordinating Western responses to the war in Ukraine.

Tsahkna's warning reflects a broader anxiety in Baltic and Eastern European capitals that Russia could exploit any European-led mediation framework to weaken the sanctions regime that has been one of the key tools of Western pressure since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.