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17 February, 2017



✔ USA hoiatab NATO riike: makske vĂ”i muidu

✔ â€œOff Topic” : The Press and the U.S. President

✔ The Munich Security Conference is being held this weekend. "Russia, like the rest of the world, will use the security conference to figure out the new U.S. administration."



- Friday 17. Feb. -


- Marina Kaljurand astub uude ametisse
(Postimees)
—
- Marina Kaljurand to head global cybersecurity commission
(Postimees)



- NATO diplomaadid: Venemaa ĂŒritas Leetu saadetud Saksa sĂ”dureid laimata
(ERR | Postimees)
"Leedusse paigutatud Saksa sĂ”dureid on tabanud ebatĂ”esed vĂ€gistamissĂŒĂŒdistused, kirjutas Saksa ajakiri Spiegel. NATO diplomaatide hinnangul on see tĂ”enĂ€oliselt Venemaa korraldatud rĂŒnnak, millega tahetakse ÔÔnestada NATO kohalolekut Ida-Euroopas."
—
—
- NATO: Russia targeted German army in Lithuania with fake news 
(Deutsche Welle)



_________

- Munich Security Conference -
--
✔ MĂŒncheni julgeolekukonverentsi: Postimees Blog
- Kersti Kaljulaid: "Ma tahaksin avaldada tugevat toetust sellele, et EL on asendamatu," mĂ€rkis Eesti riigipea oma kommentaaris, avaldades ĂŒhtlasi veendumust, et EL suudab ka praegustest muredest lĂ€bi tulla – nagu ta alati on tulnud – ning teenis vĂ€lja vĂ€ikse aplausi.”
--
- "Saksa kaitseministri sĂ”nul vĂ”lgneb tema riik vabaduse NATO-le”
--
- “Mattise sĂ”nul on trump nĂŒĂŒd kogu hingest NATO taga.”
--
- "Poroƥenko lÀks emotsionaalseks."
--
- Kaljulaid to speak on Munich Security Conference panel on Saturday
(ERR)
[Panel discussion: "The Fault Lines of Eurasia”]
--
- Germany accepts Trump challenge to spend more on defense
(Politico-Europe)
--
- What's In It For Moscow, Washington, And Europe?
(RFERL)
--
- 5 things to watch at this year’s Munich Security Conference
(Politico-Europe)
—
- OpEd: Defense Secretary  Mattis makes his first mistake
(Politico)
--
- Juncker: EU must resist US bullying on NATO spending
(Politico-Europe | Reuters)
"I am very much against letting ourselves be pushed into this,’ European Commission president said.” 
—
--
- Russia, like the rest of the world, will use the security conference to figure out the new U.S. administration
(The Moscow Times)

_________



- "Off Topic” - 
- The Press and the President - 

- Trump Ends the Presidential Press Conference As We Know It
(New York Magazine)
“Nobody until now has used a press conference to send one basic message over and over: With a few exceptions the people in this room are all lying scoundrels and you should not believe a word they say."

- Trump vs. the Very Fake News Media
(The Atlantic)
"Trump seems to have little conception of the fact that journalism is not the art of the personal attack, but the search for truth. Reporting is not driven by vengeance, but a desire for transparency. He does not understand the basic principle of the fourth estate as something that exists independent of him, and in service to the American public."

- CNN chief says Trump’s attacks are boosting morale
(Politico)

- President Trump's exchange with CNN's Jim Acosta
(CNN)

- Fox News' Shep Smith to Trump: You owe the people answers
(The Hill)

- Bizarre Poll: "Mainstream Media Accountability Survey"
(GQ)
"Only a month into his presidential administration, Donald Trump has already made clear his disgust with press corps' insistence on doing things like "ask questions," or "request details," or "hold him accountable for doing his job.”
—
“In the aftermath of Thursday's press conference â€Š the White House rolled out an absolutely bonkers "Mainstream Media Accountability Survey" that allows everyone to share how they feel about journalism in America." 

_________






- Thursday 16. Feb. -



- Kaliningrad: kas vĂ”imalus Venemaa ja euroliidu suhetes?
(Diplomaatia)



- Arvamus: Kui PĂ€tsile rajatakse riigikogu kĂ”rvale ausammas, on meie ajaloolased lĂ€bi kukkunud
(Postimees)
--
- PÀts ja TÔnisson: VÔrdleme, kumb neist rohkem heaks Àra tegi
(Delfi)
--
- From PĂ€ts’ coup d’état to Soviet occupation
(ERR - 26. January)



- Putin More Aggressive to NATO Since Trump Win, Estonia Says
(Bloomberg)
—
- Estonia is backing Trump on NATO
(Business Insider)
—
- Estland unterstĂŒtzt Trump bei Erhöhung der MilitĂ€rausgaben
(Welt)



- Finland to ramp up troop levels amid heightened Russian tensions
(Deutsche Welle | Helsinki Times)
—
--
- Topeltkodakondsuse teema on julgeoleku seisukohalt oluline
(ERR)
—
- Poll: Finns more uncertain over Nato membership
(Yle)
--
- Six key points about Finnish defense policy
(Yle)






- Wednesday 15. Feb. -


✔ USA hoiatab NATO riike: makske vĂ”i muidu
(ÄripĂ€ev)
"Kaitseminister James Mattis kasutas oma esimest kohtumist NATO liikmesriikidega Euroopa valitsuste hoiatamiseks, et kui nad oma kaitsekulutusi ei suurenda, vĂ”ib USA ĂŒle vaadata oma lubaduse Euroopat kaitsta."
--
✔ Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to NATO nations: Increase military spending
(AP | Daily Beast | Washington Post | Deutsche Welle)
 â€œâ€Š Mattis said it was “a fair demand that all who benefit from the best alliance in the world carry the proportionate share and the necessary cost.”
—
—
—
—

- U.S. threatens to “moderate its commitment” to NATO
(Estonian World)
--
- Opinion: This Is How NATO Ends
(Foreign Policy)
—
- Opinion: NATO survival will depend on Germany
(Politico-Europe)
—
- Trump has spurred more cooperation in Northern Europe
(Politico-Europe)






- Why Poland Will Look North for Its Security
(Stratfor)
"Warsaw is interested in stronger political and military cooperation with its neighbors. A natural area for Poland to seek allies is the Baltic Sea, where countries have similar concerns about Russia's recent moves. Poland already has strong ties with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all of which have recently increased their own military spending. In fact, Poland and Estonia are among the only five NATO members that currently meet the organization's defense spending target of 2 percent of gross domestic product. 
"





- Tuesday 14. Feb. -
- SĂ”brapĂ€ev -


- Venemaa korraldas Peterburi lĂ€hedal raketiĂ”ppused
(Postimees)



- Make NATO Great Again
(CEPA)
"Allies fear (Trump) will quit NATO, if not formally then by withdrawing U.S. forces and leaving Europe to fend for itself. But there’s another possibility, and one that allies, especially the Baltic States, should actively encourage: that Trump will take on the long-overdue task of reforming NATO.”
—
"Baltic leaders can help get the ball rolling by reaching out to the administration early. They may find a receptive audience."



- U.S. Defense Secretary Mattis Meets NATO Leaders 
(Politico-Europe)
"According to NATO estimates, just four countries - the U.K., Poland, Greece and Estonia - joined the U.S. in meeting the 2 percent target in 2016. However, a new independent report suggests only Estonia and Greece met the threshold. The new figures are certain to be a topic of discussion at the defense ministers’ conference, which begins Wednesday."
--
- Mattis and Pence to the Rescue of the Transatlantic Alliance
(Foreign Policy | Reuters)
—
--
- Flynn resignation will have 'no impact' on NATO meeting
(The Hill)
--
- Allied Defence Spending up by $10 Billion, NATO Report
(Newsweek | RFERL)
--
—
- NATO’s Red Herring
(Carnegie Europe)



- How Trump could destroy global order by refusing to defend the Baltics
(Mic)
"Since his election, Trump has said he "strongly supports" NATO, but his relationship with Russia remains suspicious. The international order is more fragile that it seems. If Trump were to come out and say, "The U.S. will not defend the Baltic States," then the following scenarios could happen. 
"






- Monday 13. Feb. -


- Propastop: Balti riigid taas Kremli televisiooni hambus
(Postimees)



- The World’s Most Powerful Women
(Fortune)
[President Kersti Kaljulaid was featured.]



- Wooden spike shelters grandstand at PĂ€rnu stadium 
(Dezeen photos)
"The PĂ€rnu Seaside Stadium was designed by Tallinn studio KAMP Arhitektid to replace an existing grandstand on a site close to the city's beach."



- Intimidation as a propaganda tool in the Nordic countries
(Disinfo Review)
“
 targeting the Russian speaking minority seems the most important tool in the Baltic states, whereas in Central Europe it seems to be the use of dozens of “alternative“ websites, while trolling seems most prevalent in Scandinavia. Why is it that trolling becomes the preferred propaganda method in an environment where pro-Kremlin views enjoy little popularity? If the target audience shows strong resilience to the political message, provoking fear, discomfort and confusion among journalists and other communicators could be a way of promoting self-censorship and perhaps even the kind of collective caution, which during the Cold War became known as “Finlandisation”.



- Trump Expresses Support For Ukraine In Letter To Lithuanian Leader
(RFERL)



- A Visionary at the Head of the Latvian Armed Forces
(Eurasia Daily)
"Major General LeonÄ«ds KalniƆơ, Latvia's new Chief of Defense."



- NATO: Getting On With Transatlantic Security
(Carnegie Europe)
"Since U.S. President Donald Trump personally and publicly stated on February 6 that his administration “strongly [supports]” NATO, the transatlantic community can finally turn to addressing the myriad challenges confronting European and North American security."
--
- Opinion: As Trump re-evaluates NATO, NATO must rethink Russia
(Deutsche Welle)
--
- German Defense Minister Calls U.S. Demands For Increased NATO Spending ‘Fair'
(RFERL)
—
- Opinion: Why NATO needs a European pillar
(Politico-Europe)








- The Kremlin -
“Trust No One"

- Satire: Putin Starting to Wonder If His Puppets Are Smart Enough to Pull This Off
(The New Yorker)
"Putin is starting to get concerned that the puppets he installed in the executive branch of the U.S. government might not be up to the task at hand. 
 'When you choose a puppet, you’re looking for a sweet spot,' one source close to Putin said. 'You want to choose someone who’s dumb enough to be manipulated, but not so dumb that he can’t find the light switches. Increasingly, it looks like we missed that sweet spot.”



- Baker’s Dozen of Neglected Russian Stories
(Paul Goble)
—
- Putin ... Being Pressed to Take Harder Line Abroad to Shore Up His Own Position



- Kremlin Tells Media to Cut Back on Fawning Trump Coverage
(Bloomberg | Foreign Policy)
“They won’t pour buckets of criticism on Trump, they just won’t talk about him much,” Konstantin von Eggert, a political commentator for TV Rain, Russia’s only independent channel, said by phone. “The fate of Russia-American relations is much less predictable than it was just a few weeks ago.”
--
"Trump’s campaign was watched with rapture as news anchors gushed over the novelty of hearing an American presidential candidate praise Putin. But the wall-to-wall coverage went too far for the Kremlin’s liking."
—
"Trump was more mentioned by the Russian media in January than Russian President Vladimir Putin - so it could simply be a case of strongman media envy."



- Russians Are Turning on Donald Trump
(Foreign Policy)
"One month in, the new White House is looking chaotic and weak - the opposite of what Russia respects in a politician."



- End of Kremlin’s Dream of ‘Big Deal’ with Trump Makes Putin More Dangerous Not Less
(Paul Goble)
“
 a big deal between Moscow and Washington has become impossible given the fallout from the Flynn scandal because any step by Trump in this direction would mean for him political death.”
—
- Kreml: me ei vaadanud Trumpi lĂ€bi "roosade prillide”
(ERR)
“
 Peskov vĂ€itis reedel, et Moskva ei ole pettunud selle pĂ€rast, kuidas Venemaa ja USA suhted on uue presidendi Donald Trumpi ametiaja alguses arenenud."
--
- The Kremlin Is Starting to Worry About Trump
(Foreign Policy)
"With Trump in the White House, Putin has lost his monopoly over geopolitical unpredictability. The Kremlin’s ability to shock the world by taking the initiative and trashing ordinary international rules and customs has allowed Russia to play an oversized international role and to punch above its weight. Putin now has to share the capacity to keep the world off balance with a new American president vastly more powerful than himself."



- Russia ♄ Marine Le Pen
(Politico-Europe)



- Commentary: Putin is a bigger threat to Europe’s existence than Isis
(The Guardian)
"The most effective way Putin’s regime can avoid collapse is by causing the EU to collapse sooner. 
 Putin will be able to gain considerable economic benefits from dividing Europe and exploiting the connections with commercial interests and anti-European parties that he has carefully cultivated."



- A Comparative Guide to Russia’s Use of Force: Measure Twice, Invade Once
(War on  the Rocks)



- Photos: Revisiting scenes from Russia’s tumultuous 1917 revolution
(RFERL)



- There’s No Such Thing as Internet Freedom in Russia
(The Moscow Times | Meduza)
"The most recent report on Internet and media freedom in Russia released by the Agora international human rights group paints a bleak picture. Since the beginning of 2015, at least 47 people have been imprisoned for their statements online. Many more saw their websites and blogs classified as extremist or blocked by the government. Others received threats or were subjected to physical violence after expressing their views online."
—
"At least 97 legislative initiatives related to Internet regulation were announced and approved in Russia in 2016. There were only five in 2011. According to the authors of the report, most of these regulations “concern restrictions on the dissemination of information, the responsibilities of users, and facilitating the surveillance of citizens.”



- Fake News, Fake Ukrainians: How Russians Tilted a Dutch Vote
(New York Times)
"The Dutch referendum, held last April, became a battering ram aimed at the European Union. With turnout low, Dutch voters rejected the trade agreement between the European Union and Ukraine, delighting Moscow, emboldening pro-Russia populists around Europe and leaving political elites aghast.”


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