Ukraine Conflict to Dominate UK Foreign Minister's Visit to Estonia

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond will meet his Estonian counterpart Keit Pentus-Rosimannus in Tallinn on Monday to discuss Estonian-British relations, the conflict between in Ukraine, the fight against ISIL and the future of the European Union.

LONDON/TALLINN (Sputnik) — UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond will discuss the conflict in eastern Ukraine as part of his one-day visit to Estonia on Monday.

"He will meet his counterpart, Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, in Tallinn, to discuss Estonian-British relations,… foreign policy issues including the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the fight against ISIL and the future of the European Union," the UK Foreign Office said in a statement.

Other issues on Hammond's agenda with the Estonian foreign minister are cooperation in the area of cybersecurity and countering the extremist Islamic State group.

Hammond is also expected to meet the heads of the Estonian parliament's European Union and foreign affairs committees, Kalle Palling and Marko Mihkelson, as well as Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian Defense Forces, Lt. Gen. Riho Terras.

Over the course of this and last year, the European Union, the United States and other allied nations have imposed a series of sanctions against Russia over its alleged support of independence fighters in the Ukrainian conflict.

Moscow has maintained repeatedly it is not involved in Kiev's internal affairs, stressing that the counterproductive policy of sanctions undercut efforts to end the violence in southeast Ukraine.