How to Recraft the Pillars of Estonia’s and Europe’s Security
By Kristi Raik
ICDS
“The world order is undergoing an upheaval at least as radical as the end of the Cold War. Back then, Estonia made crucial choices regarding the restoration of independence and return to the western world, which served the country well for more than three decades.”
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“Today, small states in our region are facing big dilemmas. Many, if not all, key pillars of Estonia’s and Europe’s security are under enormous strain: the transatlantic relationship, European integration, and international law.”
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“The Baltic states have found it particularly hard to adjust their security strategies to the new realities.”
https://icds.ee/en/the-indispensable-ally-how-to-recraft-the-pillars-of-europes-security/
Eesti keeles:
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“To match Estonia’s donation to Ukraine as a percentage of GDP, the United States would need to provide more than a trillion dollars.” - Democratic Representative Bill Keating of Massachusetts said during a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on 14. May 2026.
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Lennart Meri Defense and Security Conference 2026
ERR
“The three-day Lennart Meri Defense and Security Conference will take place in Tallinn from Friday, drawing top politicians and experts to the event. You can watch the discussions live at this link.”
https://news.err.ee/1610024485/watch-live-lennart-meri-defense-and-security-conference-2026
“Lennart Meri konverents: kas NATOt ohustab Trump või Hispaania kaitsekulud?"
Postimees
How Estonian presidents' approval ratings changed while serving in office
By Urmet Kook
ERR
“In light of the looming presidential election, ERR examined the approval ratings of Estonia's presidents, comparing how they changed over time and which demographic groups showed higher or lower levels of support.”
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The Coffee Club:
Small donations are always appreciated.
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/EstoNews100
Cover - graphic:
“When Estonia regained its statehood and returned to the family of European nations in 1991, the Nordic countries supported it with knowledge, experience and values – so that democracy would take root and endure. Over the years, this has developed into a mutual partnership: not just help, but a common space for action.”
https://pood.omniva.ee/et/postmargid/5110-balti-pohjala-koostoeoe-35.html
EstoNews On-Line:
https://estonewsoftheweek.blogspot.com/
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Võru keel ei vaja ellujäämiseks haletsust, vaid tunnustamist
Postimees arvamus
“Seni, kuni võru keel surutakse lihtsalt murde nimetuse alla, jääb nähtamatuks mitte ainult tema erilisus, vaid ka kogu ülejäänud murde-Eesti, kirjutab Võrumaa muuseumi teadur Hipp Saar.”
Töötute arv Eestis on visa kahanema
Estonian World Review
“… eriti noorel on raske tööd leida.”
Why Estonia is gambling on AI in schools
Politico Europe
“Estonia is an eager AI adopter. According to Eurostat, 23.4 percent of the country's companies incorporated artificial intelligence in 2025, above the EU average of 20 percent. Tallinn has also not been shy about betting on emerging technologies: it is the birthplace of the once-mighty telecoms app Skype, and home to current tech champion companies like the mobility and food delivery app Bolt and Veriff, the global identity verification service.”
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“Around half of Estonia’s 20,000 upper secondary students are already using the new platform, with the remainder expected to join this summer …”
https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-estonia-schools-education-ai-use/
Uut suurhalli noolib kolm linna ning EOK kedagi järgmises etapis maha ei kanna
ERR
“Uue suurhalli rajamisest on räägitud juba mõnda aega ning asukohavalikutena on jäänud sõelale Pärnu, Tallinn ja Tartu, keda kõiki Eesti olümpiakomitee (EOK) ka järgnevas etapis kaasab. Praegu on EOK moodustamas ekspertkomisjoni, mis hakkab tegelema halli tasuvusanalüüsiga.”
How negotiations led to the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Baltic States
Engelsberg Ideas
“In the early 1990s, President Clinton successfully negotiated with Moscow, leading to the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Baltic republics. The experience serves as a valuable reminder that American presidents can achieve positive outcomes with hard-nosed adversaries. How did Clinton do it?”
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“Despite their recently regained independence, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania still hosted thousands of Red Army troops in the early 1990s. Moscow sought to preserve a military foothold in this part of Europe and was in no rush to vacate. Seeking to stall the process, a high-ranking Russian official had proclaimed: ‘When a family falls apart, it’s a private matter that cannot be solved in a day.”
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“The Baltics saw it differently …”
https://engelsbergideas.com/notebook/how-clinton-brought-russia-to-the-table/
Uued keskkonnarajatised aitavad leevendada maaparandussüsteemide mõju
Novaator
“Maa- ja ruumiameti maaparanduse osakonna peaspetsialist Tiina Tubli rääkis "Ökoskoobis", et hiljuti alanud projekti käigus katsetatakse neljal pilootalal uusi meetodeid, mille eesmärgiks on toetada maaparandusest mõjutatud elustikku ja vähendada saasteainete jõudmist veekeskkonda.”
Estonia Builds a $8.2M Drone Testing Lab in Tallinn
The Defense Post
“Estonia is moving to close one of Europe’s key defense testing gaps with a new drone and electronic warfare laboratory designed to measure how systems are detected, disrupted, and hardened in realistic combat conditions.”
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“The facility is designed to test how drones, vehicles, and integrated systems appear to radar and how they behave under electromagnetic interference. That includes everything from small electronic components to full-scale platforms, including potential weapon system configurations.”
https://thedefensepost.com/2026/05/12/estonia-drone-testing-lab/amp/
“Estonia accelerates development, deployment of its national counter-drone network.”
Unmanned Airspace
Meduza
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“Travel: 7 lesser-known places to explore beyond Tallinn.”
MSN
“Estonia is ready to respond to Russia.”
Defence24
“Nearly 1,000 reservists gather for Estonia's Spring Storm 2026 exercise.”
ERR
“Estonia Orders More K239 Chunmoo Systems, Increasing Pressure on Russia's Baltic Fleet.”
Defense Express
“Estonian Defense Forces could be given broader powers to detain individuals.”
BNN
“Russia wants its empire back. Estonian mums plan to stop it.”
The Times
UNN
“Estonia tells Kyiv to tighten drone control after Ukraine offers experts over aerial incidents.”
Kyiv Independent
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Around the Baltic Sea
U.S. Officials Warn End Of Ukraine War Could Heighten Russian Threat To Baltics
By Alex Raufoglu
RFERL
“Christopher Smith, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, on May 14 told US lawmakers that while Russia currently has “about 90 % of its combat power” committed to Ukraine, Moscow would eventually seek to “rebalance its forces and look for opportunities to project power and also create dilemmas for NATO.”
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“This is particularly acute in the Baltic region,” Smith told a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing focused on security threats facing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.”
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“Lawmakers from both US parties repeatedly described Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as model NATO allies, highlighting their high levels of defense spending and strong support for Ukraine. All three Baltic nations are on track to meet US President Donald Trump’s demand that NATO members spend 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense …”
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“Democratic Representative Bill Keating of Massachusetts said the three countries had provided support equivalent to roughly 13 percent of their annual defense spending.”
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“To match Estonia’s donation to Ukraine as a percentage of GDP, the United States would need to provide more than a trillion dollars,” Keating said.
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-nato-baltic-ukraine-war-eastern-flank/33757418.html
“USA ametnikud: Ukraina vaherahu võib suurendada Vene ohtu Baltimaadele.”
Postimees
Latvian government collapses after drone crisis
Helsinki Times | The Guardian
“Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina announced her resignation on Thursday after her coalition government collapsed during a political dispute linked to Ukrainian drones that entered Latvian territory from Russia.”
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“The crisis escalated after two Ukrainian drones crossed into Latvia earlier this month and crashed near the eastern city of Rezekne, according to Latvian officials. One drone reportedly struck an oil storage facility. Silina accused Latvia’s air defence forces of failing to react quickly enough to the incident. She later dismissed Defence Minister Andris Spruds over the handling of the drone incursions.”
https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/world-int/28832-latvian-government-collapses-after-drone-crisis.html
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“Another airspace alert issued in eastern Latvia over drone activity.”
LSM
CEPA
European countries sign up to special tribunal plan
Deutsche Welle | Euronews
“At talks in Moldova, more than 30 countries have said they will join a future special tribunal for Ukraine prosecuting Russia over its invasion. How the body will force Russians to stand trial is not clear.”
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“Friday's resolution was signed by Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.”
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Lithuania has a plan to combat global warming (and also Russian tanks)
New York Times Gift Article
“Lithuanian officials hope restored peat bogs can reinforce the border in addition to locking away planet-warming carbon. … The hazards of the bogs were illustrated in March last year, when a 70-ton M88 armored recovery vehicle from the U.S. Army sank during a training exercise near Pabrade, a city in eastern Lithuania near the border with Belarus. Four crew members died. …”
The Bridge Builders of the Gulf of Finland
The Northern Voices
“Alexander Stubb’s recent pride in his Estonian roots points toward a much older northern story: for well over a century, writers, diplomats, linguists, and public intellectuals have moved between Estonia and Finland, carrying language, memory, and political imagination across the water.”
https://www.thenorthernvoices.com/post/the-bridge-builders-of-the-gulf-of-finland
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“Finland faces no ‘direct military threat’ despite drone scare, president insists.”
Politico Europe
“Open Spirit 2026 delivers real world impact in the Baltic Sea.”
NATO
“Women's safety in the Baltics remains high, study shows.”
Baltic Times
“Finland greenlights 40-year mortgages.”
Yle
“Rapid growth in Sweden's defence industry continues.”
Radio Sweden
“Why Sweden Is Vital to Winning a Hypothetical War in the Baltics.”
The Baltic Sentinel
“Lithuania’s health system rejects its young doctors.”
BNN
Politico
“USA tühistas 4000 sõduri saatmise Poolasse.”
Postimees
“Chief task for Belarus is not to become part of Russia after Putin’s war in Ukraine ends.”
Window on Eurasia
Putin’s Forever War
Putin’s War Comes Home to Moscow
By Anne Applebaum
The Atlantic
“Three years after the first drones exploded over the Kremlin, and more than four years into a conflict that was supposed to be nothing more than a brief “special military operation,” Muscovites have no choice but to think about the war. Alleged security measures—some think they are a form of censorship—had already rendered cellphone coverage in Moscow and across Russia unreliable, at times nonexistent. Although Russians had already lost access to most forms of Western social media, in April the state cut access even to the Russian-built app Telegram, as well as many VPNs. Without public internet, many physical systems, including ATMs, also stopped working. Ride apps don’t function either. These inconveniences come on top of high inflation and high interest rates that have weighed on even Russia’s wealthiest businesses and consumers for months.”
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“The war, and the Kremlin’s anxiety about the war, is finally now visible on the streets.”
Russia has spent at least €576 million on military training centers for schoolchildren
Novaya Gazeta Europe
“Much of this training is conducted through a network of centers called Avangard, of which 147 were operational across Russia and occupied Ukraine as of September 2025. … A second network of military-patriotic centres, known as Voin, also exists. These facilities operate in 17 Russian regions as well as four occupied Ukrainian territories.”
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