Discussions to end the war in Ukraine are once again taking place after a 28-point U.S. plan to end the war, drawn up with Russian input, was leaked to the media last week.

"I've been in daily contact with my [Ukrainian] counterpart Andriy Sybiha and many others. I have the sense that Putin smells blood in the air, and right now it is also a very tactically correct move on his part. He is pushing as hard as he can — on the front lines, against civilians, bombing infrastructure, the energy grid. There is no sign of peace anywhere," Tsahkna said on Wednesday's "Esimene stuudio".

However, according to the minister, President Donald Trump appears to want to force peace on Ukraine.

"This process has been extraordinarily public. All sorts of leaks, phone calls, proposals, counterproposals. It is rare to see such a barrage when something like this is happening. And secondly, today's foreign diplomacy and foreign policy are definitely not for the faint of heart. We have to stay extremely calm and keep pursuing our goals," he said.

Tsahkna told the show it is difficult to say whether the peace efforts will fall apart.

"The Ukrainians' main message has been that they want to keep President Trump and the United States engaged in the matter. The underlying principle is that it is possible to negotiate with the United States, but without the United States, it is not possible to bring Russia to its knees," the foreign minister said.

He said that Europe is united, and even in the West and South, there is an understanding that Russia remains a threat, and that a very bad peace with Russia would mean a deterioration of Europe's security situation.

The minister said hopeful that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will soon put the issue of using Russia's frozen assets on the table. "That's what Putin fears the most right now. Because it does not just mean he loses those assets, it means roughly €140 to €160 billion in real money for Ukraine, which would be enough for quite a long time to buy weapons and keep its economy running," Tsahkna said.

Asked about Belgium's opposition to using frozen assets, Tsahkna said it must be explained that this is a matter of survival for both Ukraine and Europe. "It is a decision of that magnitude. And guarantees must also be given that, if something happens in terms of claims from Russia, Belgium won't be left on its own. They have a legitimate concern in this matter," he said.

Despite the rumors flying around about the peace deal, Tsahkna said he does not know all the details.

"We know that topics related to NATO and the European Union have been taken out separately; those are not matters for Putin to negotiate, but rather for NATO and the EU. But all the other very painful issues – concerning Ukraine's constitutional principles, territories and troop numbers, sovereignty issues, elections, etc. — they are all still unresolved," the minister said.

"Even if the United States, Ukraine, and Europe were to come up with some kind of plan, the content of that plan should be that Putin changes his objectives. But Putin does not currently seem willing to change his objectives in any way. According to the information available, he hasn't even commented on the plan. So I think we are quite far from peace," Tsahkna said.

The foreign minister said a real peace plan only needs two points: pressure on Russia and support for Ukraine.

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