✔︎ Former President Arnold Rüütel turned 90
Palju Õnne Sünnipäevaks! 🇪🇪
✔︎ Making Narva ‘cool’ for the globally-minded generation
- The Economist
✔︎ Siilil käivad lahingud, mis kulmineeruvad Valgas
- Lõuna Leht
✔︎ Floating nuclear power plant passed Estonia without incident
- Barents Observer
✔︎ Putin’s Inauguration Coronation | Echo of Tsars
- Various sources, in the Russia news listing
✔︎ Kaliningrad Oblast: “Military Bastion 2.0”
- Various sources, in the Kaliningrad news listing
✔︎ Europe punches back after Trump's Iran decision
- Various sources
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- 2014-2018 Archive:
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Friday 11. May
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✔︎ Intervjuu: Arnold ja Ingrid Rüütel
(ERR video)
"90-aastaseks saanud Arnold Rüütel ja tema abikaasa Ingrid Rüütel andsid ETV-le pika ja avameelse intervjuu, milles käsitleti Arnoldi suhtumist Konstantin Pätsi, 100-aastasesse Eesti riiki ja ka kommunistlikku parteisse."
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| Foto: Peeter Ernitsi |
✔︎ Former President Arnold Rüütel turns 90
(ERR)
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- Siilil käivad lahingud, mis kulmineeruvad Valgas
(Lõunaleht | teised)
"Lõuna-Eestis on käimas suurõppuse Siil aktiivsete õppelahingute faas, kus 1. jalaväebrigaad mängib ründaja rolli ning 2. jalaväebrigaadil tuleb ennast kaitsta."
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"Kaitseväe kolonnid alustavad laupäeval suurõppuselt Siil tagasi liikumist. Peamised marsruudid, millel tuleb arvestada tavapärasest suurema liiklustiheduse ning raskeveokite kolonnidega, on:
- Võru-Tartu-Tallinn (maantee nr: 2)
- Valga-Tartu-Jõhvi (maantee nr: 3)
- Tartu-Aravete (maantee nr: 39)
- Rõngu-Viljandi-Türi-Rapla-Tallinn (maantee nr: 52, 49 ja 15)
- Türi-Mäo-Tapa (maantee nr: 5)
- Tallinna ringtee-Paldiski (maantee nr: 11 ja 8)
Väiksemaid kaitseväe kolonnide liikumisi toimub ka teistel Eesti maanteedel."
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- Making Narva ‘Cool': Estonia gets creative about integrating local Russian-speakers
(The Economist)
"Narva has an ageing and shrinking population and high unemployment, making it one of the poorest regions of Estonia. Years of headlines predicting an imminent invasion have hardly helped. So it is often impossible for local entrepreneurs to get finance. In the city centre there are few cafés, bars or restaurants; and there have been no commercially funded new buildings for 25 years.”
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"But Estonia is changing. A new globally-minded generation born in the 1980s and 1990s is coming of age. With no memory of the Soviet Union, young people from both communities are often more interested in the future than the grudges of the past."
- Maryland National Guard exercises Cyber Awareness with Estonian Defenses
(DVID)
"Md. Guard cyber defenders from the 175th Wing’s Cyber Operations Group at Warfield Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Md. supported the Estonian Defense League’s cyber defense unit 2-12 May during Exercise HEDGEHOG, also known as Siil 2018."
- Podcast: The Forever War - Ukraine
by Brian Whitmore
(CEPA)
"In the inaugural edition of the new Power Vertical Podcast at CEPA, we take a look at the changing nature of the battle for Ukraine. Does Ukraine’s recent rebranding of the conflict mark a change in strategy? … Joining me is Volodymyr Dubovyk, director of the Center for International Studies at Mechikov National University in Odessa."
- Door opens to keep Britain in EU (security)
(Politico-Europe)
"Defense ministers will next month discuss proposal to bring ‘third countries’ into joint EU military projects.”
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Thursday 10. May
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- Floating nuclear power plant passed Estonia without incident
(Barents Observer)
"The «Akademik Lomonosov» is followed with a close eye by Nordic authorities as it is towed across the Baltic Sea, through the Danish straits and into Norwegian waters. Three support ships are involved in the unique operation which started in St. Petersburg on the 28th April."
- What We Know About Russia's New Floating Nuclear Power Plant
(The Drive)
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| Foto: TASS |
- Why a Floating Nuclear Power Plant in the Arctic is a Terrible Idea
(Maritime Herald)
- The Baltic Sea as a Time Machine
(Various sources)
“… changes that are only expected for the future in the global ocean can already be observed in the Baltic today. This is because the small volume of water and slow water exchange with the open ocean, behaves like an amplifier, allowing many processes and interactions to occur at a faster pace ...”
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- Teadlased arvustavad elektrisüsteemi Venemaast lahtiühendamist
(Postimees)
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| Graafika: Alari Paluots |
"While Estonia and other Baltic countries could remain in the Russian power system, distrust in the eastern neighbor sends their gaze toward Europe.”
- Estonia expected to have the steepest economic growth in Baltics in 2018
(Strategest)
"The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has raised Estonia’s economic growth forecast to 3.8 percent."
http://strategeast.org/ebrd-expects-estonia-to-have-the-steepest-economic-growth-in-baltics-in-2018/
- Läti kutsus Moskva-saatkonna ründamise järel välja Vene saadiku
(Postimees | Delfi)
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- Russia, the Baltic Sea and Unexecuted Missile Tests off the Latvian Coast
(Jamestown)
"Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all lack the number or types of naval or constabulary vessels required to secure, let alone effectively patrol, their entire exclusive economic zones (as well as their territorial waters for that matter) individually or in cooperation against Russian adventurism. ... This is a problem that only reinforces the potential image of the Baltic Sea as a Russian lake."
- Russia trying to pressure NATO to leave Baltic Sea
(ERR)
"Russia is clearly attempting to pressure the alliance to leave the Baltic Sea, Minister of Defence Jüri Luik (Pro Patria) recently told Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat.
Luik said that Russian warships harass NATO vessels by following them or passing by them at close range. He also mentioned low-altitude maneuvers conducted over NATO shipsby Russian aircraft. 'This is happening in international waters … It is a violation of best maritime practices."
- Your political Eurovision Song Contest cheatsheet
(Politico-Europe)
“… Meanwhile, Estonia got embroiled in a row about a dress. No, not sexy milkmaids a la Poland 2014 - this is e-Estonia, land of the blockchain land registry and virtual e-residency. Elina Nayacheva’s performance involves an on-brand, tech-enabled dress covered in projections, lighting displays and lasers. However, getting it to Lisbon and running the electronics will cost a cool €65,000.”
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| Elina Nechayeva - Foto: Kairit Leibold/ERR |
"The Eurovision team appealed to the government for funding, but were rebuffed: in the end a consortium of private companies came up with the cash. Not that it’s to everyone’s taste ...”
- Estonia Film 100 Celebrates Nation’s Anniversary with New Projects
(Variety)
- Georgia’s Phantom Borders With Russia That NATO Won’t Defend
by Anna Nemtsova
(The Daily Beast)
"Since open warfare ended in August 2008, the boundary with South Ossetia has stretched for more than 300 kilometers. Russian troops have built at least 15 military bases along it and conduct military exercises both for the FSB and for troops from the Russian Ministry of Defense. … Every week detained Georgians appeared before a court in the Russia-backed separatist region, accused of supposedly “illegal crossings.” The punishment is usually a fine of more than $30—a huge amount for people with income of about $100 a month."
- Europe’s Populist Challenge
(American Progress)
"Authoritarian populism is not new to Europe. Numerous political parties on the far right and the far left have long called for a radical overhaul of Europe’s political and economic institutions.”
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"What is new is that, in the past decade, such parties have moved from the margins of Europe’s political landscape to its core. As the historic memories of World War II and Soviet communism fade, so has the social stigma previously associated with advocating for policy agendas that destroy democratic institutions and human lives."
- Washington wakes up to 'authoritarian' populism in the U.S. and Europe
(Washington Post)
"Much of official Washington is accustomed to seeing American politics as a realm unto itself, beholden only to its own mores and logic. But the moment is rapidly widening that lens — much of what animates Trump's supporters applies across the Atlantic, and vice versa. And Trump's intemperate style and at times extremist agenda, coupled with a dark authoritarian turn in some European countries, has establishment figures on both continents worried."
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EU Critical of
Trump's Decision
Regarding Iran
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(Various sources)
"Europe punches back after Trump's Iran decision.”
"In Europe, where May 8 marks the end of World War II, the hope now is that this date doesn’t become the starting point of another tragic chapter of history."
"Europe is facing the potential loss of what has been the most important, most reliable and most beneficial constant of European foreign policy for decades: the partnership with the U.S. and the trans-Atlantic relationship."
"More than a generation of European leaders and diplomats were engaged in the (Iranian) talks at one time or another. … Though President Donald Trump and other American critics of the deal link it primarily to the Obama administration, Europeans see it as their own. Indeed, in European foreign policy circles, the deal was considered the most significant achievement of European diplomacy in living memory.”
"Collapse of Iran deal would lead to another nuclear arms cycle, warns Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee chairperson Matti Vanhanen.”
"Time for Europe to step up.”
“The JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), as the Iran deal is formally known, was signed between Iran, the US, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and the EU."
"Russia fully supports the continued implementation of the JCPOA.”
"In leaving the Iran deal, the United States is replaying its rejection of the Treaty of Versailles …”
"For the first time in living memory, America’s European allies have broken with Washington as one on a major security issue. Or so it seems. …"
“Mr. Trump has landed Europe with a dilemma it had done its best to avoid. He is giving America’s leading NATO allies a choice between upholding a deal they brokered — and that Iran has honoured — or signing up to an America First war party over which they have no influence."
"It is by now a familiar, humiliating pattern. European leaders cajole, argue and beg, trying to persuade President Trump to change his mind on a vital issue for the trans-Atlantic alliance. Mr. Trump appears to enjoy the show, dangling them, before ultimately choosing not to listen."
"U.S. fires trio of bullets at own foot over Iran.”
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Wednesday 9. May
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- World War II continues to affect us
(Baltic Times)
"The Great War, which shook the world to its very core, affects our thoughts to this very day. If affects the policies of nations and international relations," Estonian Defense Minister Juri Luik said at a memorial service held at Kaarli Church that marked 73 years since the end of World War II."
- 9. mai pole mõjutuspüha, vaid päev langenute mälestamiseks
(ERR)
"Igal kevadel on üks päev, mis kütab väsimatult kirgi ajaloo ja rahvussuhete ümber - see päev on 9. mai. Kuigi teise maailmasõja lõppu tähistavat püha proovitakse endiselt kasutada poliitiliste eesmärkide saavutamiseks, jätavad enamus sõjas hukkunute lähedasi mälestusüritustele tulles Georgi lindi rinda panemata. …"
- May 9 'Victory Day' commemorated in parts of Estonia
(ERR)
"While Wednesday is celebrated throughout the EU as Europe Day, for Soviet Army veterans and others in parts of Estonia, May 9 is Victory Day, a holiday dating back to the Soviet era commemorating the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945 marked with events in Tallinn and elsewhere."
- Commemorating victims of WII without glorifying tanks or stalin
(UpNorth)
"The communist ideology, its symbolism, and the admiration and deification of a dictator who killed millions, Stalin, must be omitted from the context of the commemoration of the victims of World War II."
- Soviet 'Victory Day’ marked in Rīga
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“… the usual parade of celebrants included the ambassadors of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, Rīga mayor Nils Ušakovs and a selection of his Saskana party colleagues. Known as "Victory Day" to some, May 9 remains a divisive date in Latvia."
- Lithuania welcomes decision to remove Soviet-themed shirt
(Washington Post | Calvert Journal)
"Adidas removed a red tank top with the letters USSR and emblems of the Soviet Union from its online store in the country. The Foreign Ministry tweeted Tuesday that the move was “respect for millions of victims of Soviet totalitarian regime and is an issue of human decency.”
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- Russia's military hardware at Victory Day parade
(The Guardian)
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Tuesday 8. May
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- Estonian rail dreams
(Yle | Helsingin Sanomat | Postimees)
"On Monday Finland's and Estonia's governments met in Tallinn for a 'Jubilee meeting' to celebrate the two countries hundredth birthdays as independent states (Estonia this year, Finland last). … Helsingin Sanomat covered the cordial discussions, which were unusually dominated by railway projects. … Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are hoping to start construction work on the Rail Baltic project next year, with the rail link to Berlin to be completed by 2026."
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“… the Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel was one of the topics on the table during a joint sitting of Estonian and Finnish governments held in Tallinn.”
- Finland, Sweden and U.S. deepen defense cooperation
(Yle | Barents Observer)
"Defence Ministers from Finland, Sweden and the United States are scheduled to meet in Washington to discuss military cooperation between the three countries and the overall security policy situation …” [These actions are always a plus for Estonia.]
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- Marx’s Kapital crimes
(Politico-Europe)
"It’s time for Karl Marx’s Western admirers to face up to his legacy of horror. … What these admirers have forgotten, or glossed over, is that Marxist doctrine led to brutal dictatorships and the killing machines of the gulags. All the more reason to review what was so rotten about it.”
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"No wonder the East Germans calling for the end of their communist government in November 1989 chanted, “We are the people.” The communists found the people simply deplorable."
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Monday 7. May
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- Tallinn cyber war games: Fictional foe sounds like Russia
(Washington Post)
"NATO used to view preventing cyberattacks as its sole responsibility in the virtual world. But in 2014, it agreed that a cyberattack could trigger a military response, and last year the alliance decided to empower its military officers to conduct such attacks of their own."
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“We need to be just as effective in the cyber domain as we are in air, on land and at sea, with . . . the ability to respond however and whenever we choose,” alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the time."
- Opinion: Estonia Is Eager For International Tech Talent
(Business Cloud)
"Estonia never ceases to amaze me with its forward-thinking government and disruptive digital and tech initiatives – and this little country of 1.3 million has just taken yet another leap forward. New legislation has recently come into force that will reward local companies with support of up to €2,000 for every foreign employee they hire in the tech, digital and creative sectors. The idea behind the newly-passed bill is to support Estonian companies with all the extra costs and complications that come with recruiting foreign talent. This, by extension, will help tackle the ambitious country's specialist skills shortage."
- Integration Policy & Perceptions in Estonia
(FPRI)
"Central to Russia’s soft power capabilities is the issue of Estonia’s Russian-speaking minority population, largely a legacy of the illegal Soviet occupation (1940-1991). Estonia’s multiethnic Russian-speaking population comprises roughly 30% of Estonia’s total population of 1.3 million people, of which, an estimated 80,000 to 90,000 individuals are stateless and carry the grey passport that denotes undetermined citizenship."
- Integrating Estonia 2020
(Ministry of Culture)
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Kaliningrad Oblast
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- Kaliningrad Oblast Today:
“Military Bastion 2.0”
(Diplomaatia)
- Russia’s Military Strategy and Force Structure in Kaliningrad
(Swedish Defence Research Agency)
- Kaliningrad: From boomtown to battle-station
(ECFR)
- Spring Fires in Kaliningrad
(NASA)
- Inside Russia’s exclave Kaliningrad
(Jacob Resneck blog)
- Kaliningrad profile
(BBC)
- The Forgotten Russian Enclave of Kaliningrad
(Vice)
- The World Cup: Kaliningrad
(Washington Post)
"Kaliningrad will host four matches, starting with the Group D game between Croatia and Nigeria on June 16. Serbia will then take on Switzerland in Group E on June 22, followed by a Group B match between Spain and Morocco on June 25. The final match in the city on June 28 is likely to draw the most interest. That’s when England will take on Belgium in Group G."
"Russian authorities have given their "assurance” that fans will be safe from violence at the World Cup finals. Officials have a "blacklist" of known hooligans and have banned anyone responsible for trouble at Euro 2016 from attending."
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Russia
“Echoes of the Tsars"
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- Putin’s Inauguration Coronation
(New York Times)
"While lower key than Mr. Putin’s inauguration in 2012, the ceremony’s regal themes nevertheless gave it the air of a coronation."
- Putin alustas neljandat ametiaega presidendina
(ERR | Postimees)
"65 aastase Putini ametiaeg kestab 2024. aastani."
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"Putin veeres ametivannet andma uue patriootliku limusiiniga.”
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"Putin esitas Medvedevi peaministrikandidaadiks.”
- Echoes of the Tsars
(Riddle)
"The pomp of Vladimir Putin’s fourth inauguration has a tsarist quality to it, and so does his government’s sanctioned violence against protesters."
- Well, it's Inauguration Day in Russia again
(Meduza)
"This being the fourth time Russians have watched Putin's inauguration, many on social media scrutinized the little things, like Natalia Poklonskaya's apparent fatigue, a bit of last-minute housekeeping on the presidential rug, and the fanciest guest to attend the ceremony: Steven Seagal."
- Inauguration Speech: Putin says Russia will be free
(Barents Observer)
"But the young protesters who this weekend rallied in the streets of Murmansk and other Russian cities do not believe him."
- Ever More Young Russians Protesting and Kremlin Wants to Punish Those who Allow That
(Window on Eurasia)
- Putinites Shift Victory Day Message from ‘Never Again’ to ‘We Can Repeat Our Victory’
(Window on Eurasia)
"As the last remaining World War II soldiers pass from the scene – and the youngest of them would be over 90 – Vladimir Putin has shifted their message to the world from “never again” to an aggressive “we can repeat our victory” from people who played no part in that victory or suffered in any way from the horror of conflict."
- Ex-German chancellor's front row seat sparks criticism
(Deutsche Welle)
"Gerhard Schröder, the chairman of Russia's Rosneft, has been calling for an end to sanctions against Moscow."
- Netanyahu met Putin in Moscow
(Deutsche Welle)
"Upon arrival in Moscow, Netanyahu joined Putin in observing an annual military parade in the Russian capital, which celebrated the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany at the end of World War II. Wednesday's parade included drones for the first time, as well as a de-mining robot used by Russian forces in Syria. "
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- Putin avab Krimmi-Kertši silla 15. või 16. mail
(ERR)
- Sanctions Slowing Russian Shipbuilding and Undermining Russian Navy
(Window on Eurasia)
“… Russian yards have not been able to find substitutes for German-produced diesel engines – the Chinese ones are not easily adapted to Russian needs – and thus there have been significant delays in the refitting and construction of naval vessels."
- Russia Postpones Future Aircraft Carrier Program
(Jamestown Org.)
"According to Kommersant’s sources, the budget for repair of the Admiral Kuznetsov, which joined Russian Northern Fleet in 1991, is “especially modest.” The Kuznetsov’s most serious and best-known problem is its faulty power plant. … Yet, the current repair contract makes no mention of replacing the boilers with a more modern propulsion system. … The Kuznetsov may, however, undergo deep modernization of its onboard electronic systems. These have not been upgraded since the ship was commissioned to the Navy in 1991, so they are completely outdated today.”
“The Admiral Kuznetsov will remain in service until at least 2030 or longer because, even in the most optimistic scenario, construction of a new carrier will not begin until, at earliest, 2025, and building the new ship will take a decade or longer."
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“There’s no official timeline for the restoration work, but the Defense Ministry reportedly expects to have the carrier back in its fleet by 2021.”
- Russia's Dilapidated Aircraft Carrier
(Popular Mechanics)
“The 'Admiral Kuznetsov' needs a lot of work. … The ship is old and decrepit, and a hazard to its crew. In 2009 off the coast of Turkey, a problem with the electrical system led to a fire that killed one crewman. The ship's propulsion system is unreliable, its steam boilers prone to breaking down so frequently an oceangoing tugboat always accompanies it on long distance voyages.”
- Admiral Kuznetsov to Be Fitted With Advanced New Air Defense System
(The Diplomat)
"Work on the carrier is slated to begin this month at USC’s Zvezdochka shipyard, located in Severodvinsk in Northern Russia. The Admiral Kuznetsov is expected to be returned to the Russian Navy in 2021 armed with, among other things, the Pantsir-M/EM air defense system fitted with eight 57E6-E surface-to-air missile launchers (32 missiles in total) and two GSh-6-30K/AO-18KD 30 millimeter six-barrel rotary cannons."
- U.S. Navy is resurrecting a fleet to protect the East Coast and North Atlantic from Russia
(Washington Post)
"The 2nd Fleet, deactivated in 2011 to preserve funds for new ships, will resume operations in Norfolk on July 1."
- Did Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin shape the 2016 U.S. election?
(Salon)
"Russia, Dugin writes, should 'introduce geopolitical disorder into internal American activity, encouraging all kinds of separatism and ethnic, social and racial conflicts, actively supporting all dissident movements – extremist, racist, and sectarian groups, thus destabilizing internal political processes in the U.S.' It would also make sense, he continues, to 'support isolationist tendencies in American politics.' … The Kremlin didn’t so much support Trump as support the chaos he represented.”
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"Ultimately, the entire purpose of the Russian misinformation campaign was to create confusion and to destabilize Western democracy, just as Dugin had advised 20 years earlier.”
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