We speak with a strong voice in relation to the USA and point out the fact that Ukraine from day one has shown that they want peace, and they are willing to contribute to it, while Russia has only constructed and moved goalposts, says Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.
The eight Nordic and Baltic countries can, through their cooperation in what is called the NB8 group, put pressure on other countries within NATO, she believes.
Peace in Ukraine decisive
Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys warns about what can happen if fundamental, international principles of territorial integrity and self-determination are not upheld:
If we do not protect them, we open Pandora's box in foreign policy, he says.
Without a sustainable peace in Ukraine, there will be no peace in Europe, he notes.
We have seen that for Putin, bombs speak louder than diplomacy, says Kestutis Budrys.
"Escalated the bombings"
France's Minister responsible for European Affairs, Benjamin Haddad, notes that the pressure on Russia must now increase.
Despite Ukraine's attempts to achieve a ceasefire and a lasting peace, Russia refuses to participate in serious diplomatic negotiations and has escalated the bombings of Ukraine's civilian population and infrastructure, he says.
We are likely living in the most dramatic phase in modern history, and reason number one is Ukraine and the consequences if it were to go wrong, says Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
