SUMMARY: Sanctions against Russia do have an impact, said Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland on her official visit to Estonia today.

During the visit, Nuland met with Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet and the Estonian Minister of Defense Sven Mikser, with whom U.S.-Estonian economic and defense cooperation was discussed. Nuland noted that for the Ukrainian presidential elections on May 25, security for the population must be guaranteed.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY NULAND: In the vast majority of Ukraine, outside of Crimea obviously, and even in the majority of Donetsk and Lugansk, elections are possible. If they were held today, they would be free and fair. But obviously where separatists have a choke hold over the population, there are going to have to be alternative arrangements. What we’ve seen in eastern Ukraine regrettably in the most violent towns like Slovyansk and like Mariupol is that when the Ukrainian security forces maintain a cordon, the security situation remains contained in those towns. When they pull back, the separatists squirt out and start taking over buildings and other places.