UPDATE - Estonia says 'nice words won’t help,' urges increased pressure on Moscow after Alaska summit

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM ESTONIAN PREMIER; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal on Saturday slammed continued Russian attacks on Ukraine and urged increased pressure on Moscow.

"Despite diplomatic efforts, Russia continues its killings and refuses ceasefire. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's drones and missiles struck Ukraine again," Michal wrote on US social media platform X.

"Nice words won't help. We must keep up the pressure. Now is the time to back Ukraine stronger than ever," he said.

His remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in Alaska.

Michal reaffirmed Estonia's commitment to Kyiv, saying: “Estonia stands with Ukraine."

Estonian member of parliament Marko Mihkelson, who chairs the foreign affairs committee, also said that Putin "succeeded in humiliating" the US during his meeting with Trump in Alaska.

"The Alaska meeting was no surprise. Putin wanted to humiliate the US — and he succeeded," Mihkelson wrote on US social media platform X.

He added that Trump now has an opportunity to recover from the setback.

"Now, Trump has a chance to turn his weak hand into a winning one by putting real pressure on Russia," he said.

Trump and Putin were upbeat after their more than three-hour closed-door talks, with the Russian leader saying they had come to reach an "understanding."

After the meeting, Trump said that it is now up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders "to get it done."

"A lot of points were agreed on, there's not that much, you know, one or two pretty significant items, but I think they can be reached," Trump said during a Fox News interview following his historic sit-down with Putin in Alaska.

"Now, it's really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done. And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit, but it's up to President Zelenskyy," he added.