Tsahkna urges Silmet to set deadline for ending Russian supplies

Estonia’s government and Foreign Ministry have pressed Silmet to stop using raw materials from Russia, and the company should set a deadline to end its reliance, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told ERR’s Aktuaalne Kaamera programme.

Tsahkna said he had spoken with the head of Silmet’s owner, Neo Group, and argued that the company should set a date for ending its dependence on Russian supplies. He said the target could be as early as next year, which he described as a tight schedule.

The government and Foreign Ministry have worked with Silmet and Neo Group to find alternative sources, including in Brazil, Tsahkna said. But replacing Russian raw materials is difficult and would require changes to technology and investment. The company has so far been unable to end its dependence on Russia.

Tsahkna said Silmet’s inclusion on the European Commission’s list of strategic companies could bring substantial funding and investment for expansion. He said that made it important to agree on a timeline for switching suppliers.

Asked how much money Silmet currently pays to Russia, Tsahkna said the amount would have to be confirmed by the company, as it depends on its supply contracts.

The Solikamsk plant, which supplies raw material, belongs to Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom. Tsahkna said Estonia had sought to prevent disruption to Silmet’s supply chain and the company’s operations, while also supporting sanctions against Rosatom. He said he saw little appetite in Europe for such sanctions, citing the interests of large countries and industries.

Tsahkna said Estonia’s policy of seeking sanctions on Russia had not changed. He argued that Europe remained strategically dependent on Russian supplies and should work to end that reliance. Asked about Ukraine’s sanctions on the plant, he said the issue had not come up in his conversations with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.