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23 February, 2018


✔︎ The Republic of Estonia will celebrate its 100th anniversary on Saturday, February 24, 2018
- Stenbocki maja
Autor/allikas: Aron Urb/EV100, Kaupo Kalda/EV100




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Friday 23. 
February
_____________


✔︎ Ajalehed jutustavad: kaks kuud, mil sündis Eesti
(ERR)



✔︎ 1918: Three Pivotal Days
(ERR)

Part 1: 
'Estonian independence proclaimed in Pärnu Feb. 23'

Part 2: 
'Salvation Committee begins issuing orders Feb 24'

Part 3: 
'First blood spilled for sovereign Estonia Feb 25'




✔︎ The United Kingdom and Estonia’s achievement of independence
by Patrik Maldre
(Estonian World)
“… In the country’s period of need, new allies reached its shores – on 12 December 1918, a British fleet, led by Rear-Admiral Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair, arrived in Tallinn bringing guns, food, fuel and, perhaps most importantly, hope. It was in those momentous days that the modern Estonia-UK alliance was born."



- Arvamus: Vaenlane suruks meid tulega maha. Venemaa rünnaku võimalik stsenaarium
(Eesti Päevaleht)
"Ohuhinnang on põhjalikult muutunud. Sestap ei saa ka Eesti iseseisva kaitsevõime minimaalne operatiivajadus tulla kusagilt mujalt kui potentsiaalsest vaenlasest, tema jõududest ja vahenditest, mida võidakse meie vastu kasutada."

- USA tõigi võimsad õhutõrjeraketid Patriot Tallinna
(Delfi)

- Patriot air defense missile system presented in Tallinn
(ERR)




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Eesti 100. sünnipäev
_____________


- Graafik: vabariigi aastapäeva paraadil osaleb üle 1100 mundrikandja
(Postimees)


- Kaitsevägi valmistub Vabaduse väljakul paraadi peaprooviks
(DElfi)


- Estonian communities around the world celebrate Estonia’s centennial
(Estonian World)


- Eesti 100. aastapäevaks valmis puhtast hõbedast postmark
(Pealinn)


- Who is our best-loved president?
(Postimees)


- 26 head Eesti asja
(Eesti Ekspress)


- Estonia's most important monuments decorated with hats and scarves
(ERR)


- Government grants Estonian citizenship to 100 people
(ERR)


- Toronto’s CN Tower to be lit up blue, black and white
(CN Tower)


- Vilnius to be lit up in Estonia's national colors
(ERR)


- Yle's broadcast tower to be illuminated with Estonia's flag colours
(Yle)




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Thursday 22. 
February
_____________


✔︎ The Loss of the Baltics’ Independence: Options and Choices in 1939–40
by Magnus Ilmjärv
(Diplomaatia)
"Subduing the Baltic States was the result of a long process, not just the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact … Let us, however, explore the Baltic states’ foreign-, defence- and internal-policy options and choices in a situation where the Soviet Union and Germany had specified their spheres of interest in August and September 1939.”
Eesti keeles:



- Report: Assessing the Conventional Force Imbalance in Europe
The Russian Threat to NATO in the Baltics
(RAND)
"This report outlines how NATO and Russian force levels and capabilities have evolved in the post–Cold War era and what recent trends imply for the balance of capabilities in the NATO member states that border Russia in the Baltic Sea region."

- In Estonia, US Fighter Pilots Train for Next War With ‘One Hand Tied Behind Their Backs’
(Daily Signal)



- Narva jõe äärse patrullraja ehitamine läheb oodatust keerukamaks
(ERR)
"Idapiiri väljaehitamise raames soovib politsei- ja piirivalveamet (PPA) saada paremat ligipääsu ka Narva jõele."



- Kaljulaid kutsus eelmised riigipead lõunasöögile
(Postimees | Õhtuleht)
Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Kersti Kaljulaid, Lennart Meri






_____________

Munich Security Conference
_____________


- Three takeaways from the Munich Security Conference 2018
(CEPA)
“First, consensus on Russia is still solid. … The second salient point was that the transatlantic relationship is strained but intact. … The third was that Franco-German cooperation is now the big motor of European security. …"

- The U.S. Lacked Bravery and Leadership
(Foreign Policy)
"If you came to Munich looking for a call to action, you left empty-handed.”

- Witnessing the Collapse of the Global Elite
(The Atlantic)
“… the nicely tailored generation represented in Munich this year seemed baffled by the re-entry into history of today’s authoritarians and fanatics. One wonders whether the attendees possess the steel of the earlier generation that took part in World War II, and in the subsequent struggle with Communism. ...”
--
"Meanwhile, Russian oligarchs happily hobnobbed with Europeans looking to do business on the side.”

- EU: Storm clouds over Munich
(Politico-Europe)
“To the Brink -Lennart Meri and Back?” was the vaguely hopeful motto of this year’s Munich Security Conference, the pre-eminent annual gathering of defense and security policymakers. “Gloom and Doom” would have been a more apt choice."





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Latvia Bank Crisis
_____________


- Latvia scrambles to limit bank scandal fallout
(Deutsche Welle)
"Latvian bank is accused of funneling billions to North Korea while the country's top bank official is alleged to have taken bribes."

- Latvian financial supervisor sees no 'panic' over ABLV bank
(Reuters)

- Latvia Signals Russia May Be Interfering in Banking Crisis
(Bloomberg | others)
"The banking crisis engulfing the tiny nation of Latvia has turned into a potential diplomatic incident, with a statement from Riga that points the finger at Moscow."

- Kremlin Covertly Promoting Regime Change in Latvia, Riga Security Official Warns
By Paul Goble
(Jamestown)
"Moscow is making use of familiar tactics it has employed elsewhere to try to tip the outcome against the pro-Western parties that have dominated Latvian politics for the last 25 years. The Russian government is backing pro-Moscow political factions who, at a minimum, will drop Riga’s efforts to linguistically integrate the ethnic-Russian minority into the Latvian nation and work to improve relations between Latvia and the Russian Federation."





_____________

Wednesday 21. 
February
_____________


- 100 aastat Eesti majandust
(Diplomaatia)
"Eesti on jõudnud maailma jõukaimate riikide hulka, kuid tee sinna pole olnud lihtne."

- 100 Years of the Estonian Economy




- Estonia: A world leader in digital technology
(Business Times - Singapore)
"The majority of Estonia's workforce is multilingual and provides high value-add. The country recently ranked first in Europe for entrepreneurial employee activity and competitiveness. … Owing to a two-decade commitment to IT, Estonia is the world's most advanced digital society and a recognised leader in digital skills, infrastructure and legislation."

- Estonia Will Set Up Data Embassy in Luxembourg
(Transitions)



- Finland women claim bronze with win over Russians
(Reuters)
"Finland beat the Olympic Athletes from Russia 3-2 on Wednesday to claim the bronze medal in women’s Olympic ice hockey."



- Deep Fakes: A Crisis for National Security, Democracy and Privacy?
(Lawfare)
"Fueled by artificial intelligence, digital impersonation is on the rise. Machine-learning algorithms (often neural networks) combined with facial-mapping software enable the cheap and easy fabrication of content that hijacks one’s identity—voice, face, body. Deep fake technology inserts individuals’ faces into videos without their permission. The result is “believable videos of people doing and saying things they never did.”
—
"Deep fakes raise the stakes for the 'fake news' phenomenon in dramatic fashion. … as fake videos become widespread, the public may have difficulty believing what their eyes (or ears) are telling them—even when the information is quite real." 

- Fabricated video: can we preserve our shared reality?
(Christian Science Monitor)



- Estonia trying to lure Latvia's doctors
(Latvian Broadcasting)
"We're not looking only at Latvia [for guest doctors]. Now doctors can work everywhere. We can't say we'd like to hire a gynecologist or radiologist from Latvia. But our hospital is ready to admit all doctors of these trades. Of course it all depends on the experience and the doctor itself," said hospital head Tarmo Bakler."



✔︎ Russia: A Political Renewal in the Russian Army
(Intersection)
"Political officers in the military had disappeared along with the Soviet Union. Now they are back again. The government’s aim is greater ideological control over the command structures of the nation’s armed forces, especially in light of any potential internal unrest.”




_____________

Tuesday 20. 
February
_____________


- Putin soovis Eestile 100. sünnipäevaks õnne 😱
(Delfi)
"Venemaa president V. V. Putin saatis Eesti presidendile Kersti Kaljulaidile õnnitluse rahvusliku pidupäeva, Eesti Vabariigi iseseisvuspäeva puhul ja soovis Eesti kõigile elanikele õnne, heaolu ja kõike kõige paremat,” öeldakse täna Venemaa saatkonna levitatud teates.”
—
[Putin wished the Estonian people prosperity, well-being, and the best of everything.]



- Bank of Estonia introduces 'Estonia 100' commemorative €2 coin
(ERR)



- An interview with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg
(Foreign Policy)
The Secretary-General reiterated that if Russia did in the Baltics what it did in Ukraine
it will trigger a response from the whole alliance, "because NATO is there to defend and protect all allies against any threat."



- Mattis: "NATO Remains our Number-One Alliance"
(National Interest)
“… at the end of the day, despite the early rhetoric from the Trump Administration, the NATO alliance is more or less conducting business as usual."







_____________

Monday 19. 
February
_____________


- Valitsus soovib Eesti idapiiri täielikku väljaehitamist
(Lõuna Leht)
"Eesti piir peab olema kaitstud, hoitud ja valvatud, sõltumata esialgse kuluprognoosi vigadest. Julgeoleku tagamine on alati olnud riiklik prioriteet, kus ei saa teha järeleandmisi,“ ütles peaminister Jüri Ratas. „Eesti idapiiri ehitus peab igal juhul jätkuma."



- Eesti hakkab saatma ohu-SMSe, kaalub ühisvarjendeid
(Postimees)
"Rahva õigeaegseks teavitamiseks tuleks riigis luua SMS-hoiatuste süsteem, kaaluda sireene ning ehitada nullist üles võime elanikke suures mahus evakueerida, pakutakse värskelt valminud elanikkonnakaitse kontseptsioonis."

- Estonia to adopt warning SMS system and weighs shelters
(Postimees)



- Eesti e-riik Kremli meedia hambus
(Propastop)
"Eesti e-edust on Lääne ajakirjanduses palju juttu, kuid Kremli meedia on eelistanud sellest teemast rõhutatult vaikida. Küllap on ignoreerimise põhjuseks see, et Eesti kohta soovitakse ülal hoida vaese agraarmaa propagandakuvandit."
--
"Seegi kord ei jõudnud e-teema kaugele areneda. Jutujärje võttis üle eksperdina esinenud “valve-eestlane” Dmitri Linter. Ta demonstreeris stuudios oma Eesti ID-kaarti, viitas läinudaastasele turvaveale, nimetas selle põhjal kogu e-riiki kollapsiks. Tema sõnul olla Eesti digiriik üleüldse NATO küberkaitsekeskuse poolt algatatud projekt, mille eesmärgiks siinsete valimiste manipuleerimine “režiimile” ja USA-le soovitud suunas …"

- Estonian E-state in the clutches of the Kremlin media
(Propastop)
"According to Dmitri Linter, the Estonian digi-nation overall is a NATO cyber defence initiated project, whose purpose was to manipulate the local elections „regime“ towards the desired direction of following the USA."



- Estonia calls for EU to spend more for defense in border states
(Reuters | EU Observer)
"Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid said her country was already spending 2.2 percent of economic output on the military and could not afford to spend more, although there were additional military needs. “Our little country cannot do more than it is already doing,” she told Reuters in an interview at the Munich Security Conference. “But more needs to be done in our region.”
--

- Baltics propose increasing member states’ contributions to EU budget after Brexit
(BNN)
"In the context of Brexit, talks about the next EU budget will be an especially major challenge – not just because the departure of the United Kingdom will leave a big hole in funding, but also because the referendum there has proven the necessity to increase efforts towards overcoming the most important challenges – migration, defence and free movement, especially for young people. All of these priorities will require additional finances.” - European Council President Donald Tusk 





_____________

Sunday 18. 
February
_____________


- Can Ukraine Win Its War on Corruption?
(Foreign Affairs)



- Kopterijuht joonistas lennukaardile juubelitervituse
(Postimees)

- Allied aircraft to fly over Estonia's centenary military parade
(ERR)



- Finland: Sámi women trying to keep their native Skolt language alive
(PRI)
"Tiina Sanila-Aikio isn’t your everyday president. The 34-year-old is the head of the Sámi people in Finland, the only indigenous population recognized in the European Union. She is also the creator of the world’s first Skolt-language rock albums. Skolt is a Sámi language spoken by just 300 people."
--
"Although the Sámi population numbers at least 75,000, their languages are dying out. The Sámi are made up of nine different tribes across Norway, Sweden, Russia and Finland and speak various dialects. The lack of Sámi language education means young Sámis are growing up not speaking their mother tongue."



- What Is Vladimir Putin Up To?
(Bloomberg)
“... there's a danger he may turn back to Eastern Europe.”




_____________

Russia
“Trust No One"
_____________


- Generation P: Stories of teenagers who have lived a lifetime under Putin
(The Moscow Times)



- Psyop: Russia celebrates Red Army's 100th anniversary in Ivangorod
- History Is the Future: Russia in Search of the Lost Empire
(Carnegie Moscow Center)
"Andrei Kolesnikov, in his review of books by Shaun Walker, Masha Gessen, and historian Serhii Plokhy, analyzes the authors’ view on the phenomenon of the influence of the past on the present and future of Russia.”



- How Putin meddles in Western democracies
(The Economist)
"And why the West’s response is inadequate."



- Who are the Russians indicted for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election?
(Meduza)
"The most recognizable name on the list of Russians belongs to the catering magnate Evgeny Prigozhin, the general director of the “Internet Research Agency” (better known as “Russia’s troll factory”). The other 12 individuals singled out by the American grand jury are businessmen, translators, analysts, and office managers."



- Peterburi trollifarmis töötanud ajakirjanik räägib elust libauudiste tootjana
(Postimees)
"Peterburi kurikuulsa trollifarmi paljastamiseks anonüümse netikommeteerijana töötanud ajakirjanik Ljudmilla Savtšuk annab sissevaate, milline on igapäevatöö asutuses, mille eesmärgiks on toota libauudiseid ja kallutada tahtlikult avalikku arvamust."



- Kremlin Can and Will Exploit Mueller Report Against the US and Against Its Own People
(Window on Eurasia)
“… precisely by limiting its indictments to 13 individuals and three organizations who exploited the possibilities of the Internet to try to influence the American election provides Moscow with a real opportunity to turn the tables on those who are praising it." 



- An Indicted Russian Picks Up the Phone, and Mocks the Idea That Russia Meddled
(The New Yorker)
"According to an indictment, the Russian I.T. worker Mikhail Burchik helped spread propaganda under false identities on social media, in order to support Donald Trump and sow “political discord.”



- Putin has Fallen into the Trap of Believing His Own Propaganda
(Window on Eurasia)
"Many make the mistake of assuming that Vladimir Putin has a more sophisticated understanding of the world than the propaganda image his regime puts out, Pavel Kazarin says; but that is not the case. Instead, Putin has fallen into the trap of believing his own propaganda, making mistakes, and creating a self-fulfilling prophecy."



- Russia’s Clash With the West Is About Geography, Not Ideology
(Foreign Policy)
"In March 1947, the new U.S. secretary of state, George C. Marshall, embarked on six grueling weeks of negotiations in Moscow with his Soviet counterpart, Vyacheslav Molotov, over the future of occupied Germany. With neither side willing to accept the possibility of such a dangerous, strategically situated country becoming an ally of the other, the talks ended in stalemate. Yet Stalin still believed that Truman would ultimately be compelled to concede German unification on Soviet terms — massive reparations and a political structure favorable to the Communists — in order to fulfill his predecessor Franklin D. Roosevelt’s pledge to withdraw U.S. troops from Europe within two years after the war.”
--
"Marshall left Moscow convinced that cooperation with the Soviets was over. Germany, and much of Western Europe, was edging toward economic and social collapse, and the Leninist dictum “the worse, the better” appeared to be Stalin’s response. The time had come, Marshall decided, for unilateral U.S. action to secure democratic, capitalist government in the parts of Europe still outside Soviet control. In an iconic speech at Harvard University on June 5, 1947, he presented the outline of what would become a massive four-year U.S. aid scheme to support European reconstruction and integration: the Marshall Plan. … "



- Alexei Navalny: the man who would bring down Vladimir Putin
(The Times - Uk)

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