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25 May, 2018



✔︎ Moskva: piirilepet ei ratifitseerita, kui Eesti oma käitumist ei muuda 
- Postimees


✔︎ "Kersti Kaljulaid is the first foreign leader to have visited the Donetsk oblast ..."  - ERR


✔︎ EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is now in effect
- Separate news listing





- 2014-2018 Archive:



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Friday 25. May
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✔︎ Kaljulaidi külastatud Donbassis oli poolaasta ägedaim tulistamine
(ERR)
"Ukraina idaosas tegutsevad Kremli-meelsete võitlejate üksused korraldasid sel nädalal, kui piirkonda külastas ka Eesti president Kersti Kaljulaid, viimase poolaasta kõige ägedama tulistamise."
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- Estonian President visits war-torn eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk
(ERR)
"Kersti Kaljulaid is the first foreign leader to have visited the Donetsk oblast, an area which has been blighted by fighting between Ukrainian state forces and pro-Russian separatists."
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- Estonia is using its citizens’ genes to predict disease
(TNW - Amsterdam)
“… participants will donate blood samples to the Estonian biobank, which will conduct a genome-wide genotyping and alert those among them who are likely to suffer from conditions like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast cancer."

- European Commission supports ‘DigiTwins'
(Tartu University - press release)
"DigiTwins is a large research initiative that aims at establishing a personal Digital Twin for every European citizen."



- Winning the normative war with Russia: An EU-Russia Power Audit
by Kadri Liik
(ECFR)
"The EU and Russia have become locked in an open battle over the norms of international conduct. This is a clash between liberal universalism and authoritarian statism; the liberal international order and realpolitik. …"

Map: ECFR



- Belarus: Moscow Military Journal Says Belarus ‘a Redundant Structure,’ Sparking Furor in Minsk
(Window on Eurasia)



- Sweden distributes 'If Crisis or War Comes' leaflet to 4.8m homes
(Radio Sweden | The Guardian | BBC)
"The aim of the pamphlet is to help Swedes become better prepared for everything from serious accidents and extreme weather to IT attacks and military conflicts. Nevertheless, Dan Eliasson, director-general of the Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), says there is 'no cause for alarm'."
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- Royal Canadian Navy divers clear unexploded ammunition off Estonian shores 
(The Chronicle Herald)
"The Baltic Sea saw heavy fighting during the First and Second World Wars. This included air bombardment, naval gunfire support, mine-laying, and submarine warfare. As a result, much of the sea bottom is littered with old ordnance that was fired or deployed but didn’t explode. Obviously this can be dangerous for marine traffic, so the fleet diving unit and other teams from NATO countries conduct an annual sweep called Operation Spirit. Operations rotate among Baltic countries such as Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia."





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EU's GDPR
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✔︎ EU’s New General Data Protection Regulation 
(Multiple sources)
"Since the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect today, internet users in the bloc have had to deal with unforeseen consequences, including US newspapers blocking access and some companies suspending support for their products.”
--
"A number of U.S.-based news sites - the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun and a raft of others - have basically gone offline as far as European readers are concerned."

"Unfortunately, it is not the United States of America that is leading the world in protecting personal rights. Instead, the Old World is leading the New World.”

“[GDPR is] why you’re getting flooded with privacy notifications in your email.”

"What is GDPR and how will it affect you?"
—
—


"Are EU data watchdogs staffed for GDPR?”







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Thursday 24. May
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✔︎ Russian Expert: Estonia viable state, attack on it would be disastrous
(ERR | Baltic Times)
"The Baltic states have proved their vitality as nations, and states, which managed to find their way into the core group of the EU - the Eurozone, as well as NATO, thus influencing decisions of these powerful alliances.”  - Sergey Utkin
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''This makes the dialogue with the Baltic States more important than it would have been if we talked about a purely bilateral dimension of relations. Any attack on the Baltic states would clearly trigger disastrous scenarios.”
—
"Stopping the ongoing securitisation [ie. turning the Baltic states into a security issue for Russia] of Russia's relationship with the Baltics is a genuine mutual interest of nations but it remains to be seen if the politicians will be up for doing this job."
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- $13 Billion Was Laundered Through Estonia from 2012-2016
(U.S. News & World Report)
"Estonian police also warned that more attempts to launder funds could be expected with further Russian bank closures likely this year."



- Viie aasta jooksul on läbi Eesti pankade liikunud 13 miljardit eurot kahtlast raha
(ERR)
"Eelmisel aastal sai rahapesu andmebüroo kokku 5418 kahtlase raha liikumise teadet. Neist enamik ehk 2663 olid rahapesukahtluse teated ja 471 juhul kahtlustati terrorismi rahastamist."



- Raamat: "Propagandasõda 21. sajandil"
(Propastop)
"Potšeptsovi värskeim teos on kohustuslik lugemine neile, kes üritavad aru saada Venemaa mõjutustegevuse praktilisest mõjust, integratsiooni olemusest ja võimalikkusest, aga ka näiteks ETV+ kanali võimalikust rollist ning olulistest ja ebaolulistest osadest selle programmis."



- IMF Report: Republic of Estonia
(International Monetary Fund)
“… The outlook is positive. Over the medium term, growth is set to remain around 3.5 percent, supported by the continuing recovery of main trading partners, domestic investment, accommodative financial conditions, and continued strong market sentiment. …”



- PPA uus seirelennuk jõudis Eestisse
(Postimees | ERR)

PPA Foto



- Baltic defense ministers underline need to improve NATO Command Structure
(Latvian Info Agency)



- Belarus: The last country in Europe to apply the death penalty 
(Open Democracy)
"It often does so in secret.”



- Russia haunts the western imagination
(Open Democracy - 16. April)
“Let us not forget that Russia is a resurgent rather than a rising power. Its power and influence are just a bleak copy of those of the Soviet Union. ... Its population has one of the highest percentages of university-educated people, but with the lowest labour productivity per hour worked in the industrialised world. The country is profoundly corrupt and though President Putin is a strong leader, the prospects of Russia’s development after him (regardless of when that “after” will be) are highly uncertain.”
--
"What causes anxiety in the liberal west is not that Russia will run the world, but that much of the world will be run the way Russia is run today."






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Wednesday 23. May
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✔︎ Moskva: piirilepet ei ratifitseerita, kui Eesti oma käitumist ei muuda
(Postimees | ERR)
"Vene saatkonna seisukohavõtt järgnes president Kersti Kaljulaidi teisipäeval rahvusringhäälingus avaldatud sõnadele, et ta on valmis sõitma Moskvasse ja kohtuma Venemaa presidendi Vladimir Putiniga pärast seda, kui Eesti-Vene piirilepingud on ratifitseeritud."
--
✔︎ Estonia, Russia Exchange Tough Talk on Border Treaty
(Washington Post | Transitions)
"Russia will not ratify the treaty until Estonian leaders stop their “Russophobic rhetoric,” Russia’s embassy in Tallinn fumes."
—



- Pagulased saavad Eestis nüüd endale ise kodulinna valida
(ERR)
"Rahvusvahelise rändekava alusel Eestisse saabuvad pagulaspered saavad nüüd ise valida omavalitsuse ja otsida sobiva üürikorteri, kuhu elama asuda. Samuti ei peeta riigist lahkujate kohta nii detailset statistikat kui varem."

"Refugees in Estonia given a free rein in finding their own accommodation"



- Europeans love the EU (and populists too)
(Politico-Europe)
[86% of Estonians feel their country has benefited from EU membership.]



- "Eesti Putin on parem kui Vene oma!" Vaata, miks paljud peterburilased õpivad eesti keelt
(Delfi)
"Eesti keele kursused on venelaste hulgas populaarsed ka Peterburis, mitte ainult Eestis. Venemaa põhjapealinnas on mitu keeltekooli, kus eesti keelt õpetatakse."



- Brüssel leidis Eestist kaks suuremat probleemi
(Äripäev - sisselogimine vajalik)
"Laias laastus on Eestis Euroopa Komisjoni hinnangul kaks probleemi: ebavõrdsus on ühiskonnas suur ja eelarve võiks olla rohkem tasakaalus.”







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Tuesday 22. May
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- Baltic Governments Respond to Growing Russian Spy Threat
by Paul Goble
(Jamestown)
“… Tallinn recognized this open-source threat far earlier than Riga or Vilnius. Hence, it elaborated laws and legal arrangements to bring those engaged in it not under the traditional espionage statues but for “conspiracy against the state of Estonia,” a measure that was introduced after the Bronze Soldier controversy of 2007. Individuals charged under these laws, Estonian prosecutors say, “are not looking for state secrets, but at the same time we see that what they are doing is occurring in a systematic fashion” and being used against Estonia and its society.”
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"Not surprisingly, Estonia’s success in tracking Russian spies has elicited kudos from the West (Bloomberg, February 13; The New York Times, February 9). And its Foreign Intelligence Service’s annual reports (Valisluureamet.ee, 2018) have received similar plaudits. However, in the face of Tallinn’s success, Moscow appears to have stepped up its efforts. According to Polish commentators, Russia is doing everything it can to recruit younger Estonians and thus be in a position to divide and destabilize Estonia well into the future."



- Kaljulaid on Ukraine Visit
(ERR)
"Kaljulaid is on an official visit to Ukraine starting today. Her itinerary for the 22-24 May trip includes a visit to the war-torn Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, and comes at a time when the situation there has been worsening.”
—
"For security reasons the precise locations she will be visiting in Eastern Ukraine have not been disclosed. The Head of State will be accompanied during her visit to Ukraine by a delegation including Estonian Mps Eerik-Niiles Kross and Johannes Kert, and Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence Jonatan Vseviov."

- President Kersti Kaljulaid Kiievis
(ERR)
"President Kersti Kaljulaid ütles Kiievis pärast kohtumist Ukraina presidendi Petro Porošenkoga, et läänemaailm ei tohi sõjaga Ukrainas ära harjuda ning seda paratamatusena võtta."

"Poroshenko: Estonia has provided Ukraine with over €10 million in aid."



- Guarding EU external border is cornerstone of migration policy
(Baltic Times)



- Uuring: varimajandus kasvab Balti riikidest kõige kiiremini Eestis
(ERR)



- The stalled quest for a more democratic EU
(Politico-Europe)
"Despite efforts to improve democratic accountability in Brussels, all of the main European political parties have shied away from the idea of open primaries. … The idea was to get away from the opaque appointments of the past, where the Commission top job was selected by backroom deals among the 28 leaders of EU member countries, in favor of a system where lead candidates for the job were selected in advance by pan-European political parties. And to involve citizens even more deeply, the hope was the selection of those candidates would be opened out — via U.S.-style primaries in which any interested citizen could participate, not just party members."
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"It hasn’t turned out that way."



- Vienna tilts toward Putin's Russia
(EuroNews)
"The country's government appears to be drifting closer to Putin. With Vienna widely regarded as the spying capital of the world, that has serious implications for Washington and its allies. One factor is at the heart of these concerns: the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) — which is openly supportive of Russia."
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"Austria is economically and politically integrated in the West, but the FPÖ is trying to play the card of being part of the East," says Gustav Gressel, a former desk officer at the Austrian Ministry of Defense. "If you have an East-West confrontation, you basically have parts of your enemy behind your own lines."






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Monday 21. May
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- Estonia Remains CEE Champion in Digital Economy and Society Index
(Emerging Europe)



- 71 Years Ago Today, Stalin Deported the Finns and Ingermanlanders from Around Leningrad
(Window on Eurasia)
"Two of the most truly “punished peoples” of Soviet times but ones that are left off many such lists are the ethnic Finns and Ingermanlanders who lived in the northwestern portion of the USSR near Finland. But if the Finns ultimately had a country to go do, the Ingermanlanders have suffered from the first years of Soviet power up to now.”



- NATO and the Transatlantic Relationship
(War on the Rocks)
"On May 17, when NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with President Donald Trump at the White House, part of Stoltenberg’s agenda was to insulate NATO from the political winds whipping through the transatlantic relationship. It’s too early to tell if he succeeded … For the moment, several layers of insulation protect NATO from catching a cold from a transatlantic diplomatic winter."









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Russia
“Trust No One"
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✔︎ The Roots of Russian Aggression
(Don’t blame the West)
by James Kirchick
(National Review)
"As is already known, James Baker, then the secretary of state, promised Gorbachev that NATO would not expand “one inch eastward.” ... But Baker made that pledge solely in the context of East Germany, a country that, like the Soviet Union, would soon cease to exist. At the time, it was inconceivable that places such as Poland or Czechoslovakia (another state not long for this world), never mind the soon-to-be independent Soviet Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, might one day join NATO."
--
"Russia and its Western apologists can offer no evidence of a promise not to enlarge NATO, because such a promise was never made. Gorbachev should have the final word on this matter: “The topic of ‘NATO expansion’ was not discussed at all, and it wasn’t brought up in those years,” he said in October 2014. “I say this with full responsibility. Not a single Eastern European country raised the issue, not even after the Warsaw Pact ceased to exist in 1991.” 



- Behind the wire: pride and paranoia in one of Russia’s closed towns
(Open Democracy)
"Lesnoye (formerly Sverdlovsk-45), … was founded in the Sverdlovsk region in 1947. It was constructed by prisoners from the GULAG; there were up to 30,000 prisoners in the 1950s. The older part of town and the roads leading to it were built by them. In 1948, the town embarked on the building of a plant for electromagnetic isotope separation, which came into operation two years later. A second plant appeared some time afterwards; its main task was the serial production of atomic bombs – up to 60 a year. This installation was one of the main elements in the USSR’s so-called “nuclear shield” during the Cold War."
--
"After Sverdlovsk-45 lost its “secret” status in the 1990s, it was renamed Lesnoye."



- How Western Sanctions Will Alter Ties Between Russian Big Business and the Kremlin
(Carnegie Moscow)
"America’s latest round of sanctions has proven to be one of the most powerful blows against Russia since 2014. It has impacted not only government officials, but also influential business elite. … But there will also be important indirect consequences. Amplified by domestic political trends, the sanctions may serve as the impetus for a new wave of property redistribution based upon state — rather than economic — interests."



- Kremlin’s Increasing Reliance on Cossacks Reflects Weaknesses of Russian State
by Paul Goble
(Jamestown)
"Moscow has been employing nominally Cossack units in the North Caucasus to back up the local police for at least four years. And they are being utilized across the country both to provide security as well as to perform other government tasks such as fighting fires in Siberia. … Yet, it seems the Kremlin has crossed a Rubicon of sorts by using Cossacks to attack protesters in Moscow. Many Russian liberals in the past had approved the use of Cossacks outside the capital but are now expressing outrage that they are being deployed against their fellow residents of Russia’s largest city."

"Putin Already Deploying His ‘Cossacks’ in Non-Russian Republics”



- Dealmakers, Putin and $124,000 Mercedes SUVs in St. Petersburg
(Bloomberg)
"Putin this week hosts the centerpiece of his annual economic calendar, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The event brings together global CEOs, heads of state, government ministers and leading academics to discuss how exactly the nation can spur growth."

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