✔︎ Väisminister Sven Mikser ei usu et USA ja Venemaa riigipeade kohtumisest mingit läbimurret saaks tulla.
✔︎ Nine EU states have signed on to a joint military 'European Intervention Initiative’. Once established, they will be tasked with quickly deploying troops in crisis scenarios near Europe’s borders without assistance from Nato or the US.
✔︎ Finnish President Niinistö will attend the NATO summit.
✔︎ Ukraine says Russian hackers are preparing a massive strike.
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- On-line version:
- 2014-2018 Archive:
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Friday 29. June
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- Juhtkiri: Kuuldused ELi surmast on ennatlikud
(Postimees)
[Rumors of the EU’s death is premature.]
- Nine EU states sign off on joint military intervention force
(Multiple sources)
"The European Intervention Initiative, spearheaded by French President Emmanuel Macron as part of plans for an autonomous European defense force outlined in his Sorbonne speech in September, will be tasked with quickly deploying troops in crisis scenarios near Europe’s borders. The group includes Germany, Belgium, the U.K., Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Spain and Portugal."
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“The goal: that our armed forces learn get to know each other and act together,” French Defense Minister Florence Parly said in a tweet. “Thanks to exchanges between staff and joint exercises, we will create a European strategic culture. We will be ready to anticipate crises and respond quickly and effectively.”
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- The Letter of Intent Concerning the Development of the European Intervention Initiative (EI2)
"Finland's government said it has not decided whether it would join the coalition ..."
- The European Intervention Initiative: A look behind the scenes
by Dr. Nicole Koenig
(The Jacques Delors Institute)
- Estonian president delights in country’s 4 ‘unicorns' – tech companies valued over $1bn
(The Guardian)
"Estonia’s high proportion of tech startups, a cornerstone of its bid to establish itself as the “digital society” of “e-Estonia”, have been chalked up to its high level of technology penetration and education. Internet access is enshrined as a basic human right in the country, and it has the second-fastest public wifi in the world.”
- An Uppsala University summer course turned out to be propaganda
(Postimees)
[Twelve journalism students from the University of Tartu travelled to Uppsala University in Sweden to learn how to cover armed conflicts. They found the teacher was a freelance blogger with close connections with Sputnik and Russia Today.]
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“… the first gasps were heard coming from the audience when she had presented just a few slides. Beeley brought up a proposal by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from 1953 to ban all manner of war propaganda. She pointed out how the Soviet Union made a similar proposal at the UN General Assembly in 1957. Western powers allegedly voted down the noble initiative to keep using cruel practices. Next, Beeley said that the Soviet Union and its legal successor Russia have always tried to promote peace in the world."
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"We were shocked. One of us, Allan, stood up and walked out of the lecture hall … he would not be the last. ..."
- Uppsala University apologizes
- Tartu linn ja kaitseministeerium tahavad sõjaväelinnaku Raadilt ära kolida
(ERR)
"Uus koht on välja vaadatud, kuid paljud detailid, näiteks kui palju kolimine linnale maksma läheb, ootavad veel kokkulepet. Kui kolimine õnnestub, peaks see toimuma lähima nelja aasta jooksul."
https://www.err.ee/842747/tartu-linn-ja-kaitseministeerium-tahavad-sojavaelinnaku-raadilt-ara-kolida
- Interaktiivne Graafik: Millistel bussiliinidel pühapäevast tasuta sõita saab
(Ärileht)
- The Country With No Public Transport Fares
(U.S. News | PFI)
"Estonia takes the experiment nationally, but questions remain whether such programs reduce traffic and pollution.”
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Trump-Putin
Meeting
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- Putin ja Trump kohtuvad Helsingis 16. juulil
(Delfi | Postimees | ERR)
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- Väisminister Sven Mikser ei usu et USA ja Venemaa riigipeade kohtumisest mingit läbimurret saaks tulla
(ERR)
- Trump and Putin Choose Helsinki for First Summit Meeting on 16. July
(multiple sources)
"Putin will use the summit to rehabilitate his image after annexing Crimea, in 2014, intervening militarily in Syria, in 2015, and interfering in the U.S. election, in 2016."
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Trump Says He Will Raise Ukraine, Syria At Upcoming Summit With Putin
John Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser, seems to have abandoned his firebrand persona – and in Moscow the change of tone was striking
- High Hopes in Russia, High Anxiety in the West
- Finnish neutrality key to Helsinki hosting US-Russia summit
- NATO chief: Trump-Putin summit is ‘sign of strength’
- Will Trump Get Played by Putin?
(The New Yorker)
- Opinion: Why Europe is very nervous about the Trump-Putin summit
by Carl Bildt
(Washington Post)
"If Trump uses the Singapore script, it would be genuinely worrying. We might hear that Putin is a man loved by the people of Russia, that he can genuinely be trusted, that the two leaders will build a terrific relationship and that happy days are ahead of us. The president might even throw in that there are some good beaches where some good condos could be built. ..."
- Commentary: Spinning the Summit in Moscow
by Brian Whitmore
(CEPA)
“Russian media is already speculating what goodies the Kremlin might take home from the summit. … the pro-Kremlin media is delighted.”
- Opinion: Here's what should happen at the impending meeting of Trump and Putin.
by Edward Lucas
(CEPA)
"Meeting the leader of the free world should be a reward for good behavior; the Russian leader has done nothing to deserve it."
- Opinion: Best Frenemies Forever
by The Editorial Board
(New York Times)
"One would hope that the president of the United States would let Mr. Putin know that he faces a united front of Mr. Trump and his fellow NATO leaders, with whom he would have met days before the summit in Helsinki. But Axios reported that during the meeting in Quebec, Mr. Trump said, “NATO is as bad as Nafta,” the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is one of Mr. Trump’s favorite boogeymen."
- Trump ärgitas kaheksat NATO riiki kaitsekulutusi suurendama
(Postimees)
"Diplomaadist allikas ütles AFP-le, et Trumpi isikliku allkirjaga kirjad said Belgia, Itaalia, Hispaania, Portugal, Luksemburg, Norra, Holland ja Saksamaa. Trump on kirjutanud sarnase kirja Kanadale ja selle tekst avaldati eelmisel nädalal."
- Ahead of NATO Summit, U.S. President Exhorts Allies to Pay Up
(Foreign Policy)
“In a sharply worded message to at least some countries in the 29-member alliance that didn’t meet defense spending thresholds … Trump wrote that Americans were tired of funding Europe’s defense and want other NATO members to carry more of the load."
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Thursday 28. June
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- Baltic states to decouple power grids from Russia and link to EU by 2025
(Reuters | ERR)
"Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania view being plugged into Russia’s power network as a threat to their national security. … Russia, on which the Baltic states currently rely to balance their power flows, has never cut power or threatened to do so, but the three EU nations fear it might and say there is a lack of transparency on upkeep of the network in Russia."
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"Brussels is to negotiate with Moscow over how to maintain the power supply to Kaliningrad, which is currently synchronized with mainland Russia through the Baltic states. The deal proposes connecting Kaliningrad with two back-to-back power converters."
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"At a special ceremony in Brussels on Thursday, Juncker, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Centre), Latvian Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki signed the political roadmap on the synchronisation of the Baltic countries' electricity networks with the Continental European network."
- Suurbritannia hakkab Läänemerd kaitsma
(Delfi)
"Täna sõlmiti Londonis kokkulepe, mille alusel hakatakse Suurbritannia eestvedamisel looma uut Läänemere kiirreageerimisüksust, annab ERR teada raadiouudistes. Kokkuleppele kirutasid alla Eesti, Läti, Leedu, Soome, Rootsi ja Norra.”
- Trump Backs Russia on Election Interference Ahead of NATO Summit
(The Atlantic)
“…said former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, "there is a lack of predictability after North Korea about what will be agreed to. No one thought that halting military exercises in South Korea was even on the table.” Ilves pointed out that Trump reportedly got the idea from Putin. “I’m hoping that it’s all paranoia,” Ilves said. “But it is a general concern that Putin could dupe Trump by piling on the charm.”
- Trump’s statement on Crimea can lead to serious consequences
(Euromaidan)
“… President Donald Trump had told G7 leaders that Crimea is Russian since all who live on the peninsula speak Russian."
- Luuletaja Henrik Visnapuu põrm jõudis lõpuks kodumulda
(Postimees)
"26. juuni pärastlõunal sängitati Tallinna Metsakalmistul oma abikaasa Hilda Visnapuu kõrvale kodumulda luuletaja, dramaturg ja kirjanduskriitik Henrik Visnapuu (1890–1951), kes suri paguluses New Yorgis."
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Wednesday 27. June
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- Arvamus: Russofoobia Mobiliseeriv Jõud
Andreas Ventsel ja Vladimir Sazonov
(Postimees)
- President Niinistö to join NATO summit
(Yle)
"Finnish President Sauli Niinistö will take part in the NATO summit in Brussels on 11-12 July, the Council of State announced on Wednesday. Finland is not a member of the military alliance, but is a close associate. Niinistö will lead a nine-member delegation. It will include Ambassador Piritta Asunmaa, head of Finland’s mission to NATO, as well as officials from the foreign and defence ministries and the president’s office. The delegation will also be accompanied by several foreign ministry experts."
- ‘Cunning' Estonians infiltrate Latvian Song and Dance Festival
(Latvian Broadcasting)
"Clever Estonians from Haanja, near the Munamägi peak not far from the Latvian border, have made their way into the Latvian Song and Dance Festival. They achieved this in a large-scale covert operation, infiltrating the Veclaicene folk dance collective through the local cultural center."
- Stoltenberg: Gruusia ja Ukraina NATO-sse astumine ei ole Venemaa asi
(Postimees)
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Tuesday 26. June
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- ‘We need to be impatient’: Estonia’s No. 2 defense official dives into NATO priorities
(Defense News)
"NATO is the cornerstone of our security. We expect a lot, not only from this summit but from NATO in general. NATO has been doing a lot of good work on defense and deterrence, bolstering up its presence in the Baltic states as well as in other regions in the eastern part of the alliance. I think that work needs to continue, and we expect a good number of decisions from the summit regarding the readiness of alliance forces, regarding reinforcement, the ability of the alliance to reinforce different regions."
- Videolugu: Kuidas hävitajad tuvastavad õhupiiri rikkunud lennukit
(Postimees)
- Allies to rehearse guarding Baltic airspace in Ramstein Alloy exercise
(ERR)
"The Estonian Air Force and Ämari Air Base have a central role to play in the exercise this time. French jets currently stationed in Estonia as well as Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Norwegian, Polish and Dutch air force members and aircraft are likewise to take part in the exercise. Partnership countries to participate in the exercise are Finland and Sweden."
- Survey: 76% of well-educated Estonian workers would work abroad
(ERR)
- Ukraine says Russian hackers preparing massive strike
(Reuters | others)
"Hackers from Russia are infecting Ukrainian companies with malicious software to create “back doors” for a large, coordinated attack … The hackers are targeting companies, including banks and energy infrastructure firms, in a roll out that suggests they are preparing to activate the malware in one massive strike.”
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“Everything we’re seeing, everything we’ve intercepted in this period: 99 percent of the traces come from Russia.”
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- Sputnik unsuccessful with complaint against Estonian Public Broadcasting
(ERR)
"The Estonian Press Council found on Tuesday that Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) didn't break the media ethics code with its reporting in March this year about an attempt on the part of the state-owned Russian news agency's Estonian branch to start a disinformation campaign about the Defence Forces.”
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Monday 25. June
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- Arvamus: narratiivid, hirmutamine ja infosõda
Andreas Ventsel
(Postimees)
- NATO's 'Four Thirties' plan — does it add up?
(Deutsche Welle)
"Discussions between EU foreign ministers and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about removing barriers to military movements across Europe are picking up steam ahead of next month's NATO summit. But highly-publicized concerns about those difficulties may actually be the least of NATO's worries in its new "European Readiness Initiative" — dubbed the"Four Thirties." The pledge: by 2020 NATO nations will be able to deploy 30 battalions, 30 battleships and 30 air squadrons within 30 days or less."
- If they needed to fend off war with Russia, U.S. military leaders worry they might not get there in time
(Washington Post)
“… a mixture of bureaucracy, bad planning and decaying infrastructure could enable Russia to seize NATO territory in the Baltics while U.S. Army planners were still filling out the 17 forms needed to cross Germany and into Poland."
- Military mobility returns to the forefront in Europe
(Defense News)
"During the Cold War, European defense was supported by an elaborate, static logistics supply chain that was enabled by long supply lines from rear-area depots and military equipment manufacturers and by a system of forward-deployed units and depots. The end of the Cold War saw a pivot toward network-centric, out-of-area operations in complex and dynamic operational environments, requiring logistics to be able to provide flexible support in remote battlefields in insurgent threat environments."
- NATO’s infatuation: Russia, Russia, Russia!
(Defense News)
- European Commission to EU-27: Prepare airports for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit
(Politico)
"Countries will have to hire customs officers and expand airports to deal with post-Brexit air traffic.”
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"If the U.K. leaves the EU without an aviation agreement, flights would immediately cease between the islands and the EU27 since EU-issued operating aviation licenses would no longer be valid, and British airlines would no longer have the right to fly to EU countries. The U.K. would also cease being a member of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which issues the certification and licenses EU aircraft require."
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Sunday 24. June
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- West Coast US consulate not going to happen this year
(ERR)
"According to the national budget strategy for 2019-2022, funding for the opening of a mission on the West Coast of the US has been earmarked from 2019 onwards."
- Mari Kalkun: Ilmamõtsan review – mesmerising Estonian forest folk
(The Guardian-Uk)
“In the Võro language of Southern Estonia, Ilmamõtsan means “in the wood of the world”, an apt title for an album that captures the stillness, mystery and majesty of a northern forest."
- What is Europe’s migration fight about?
(Politico-Europe)
"A guide to Europe’s boiling political crisis. … Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are the top three countries of origin for asylum applicants in the EU. … Europe’s migration problem doesn’t get any easier to solve.”
- Touring Hotel Viru’s KGB Museum
(Ozy)
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