- “The new far-right is sinking Estonia’s international reputation - who is responsible?”
- May 17-19, 2019: The Lennart Meri Conference.
- Propaganda website “Uued Uudised” reportedly calls for denying former president Toomas Hendrik Ilves entry to Estonia. Really.
- "When did you recently read or hear of any positive news about the government's activities?” - Vahur Kersna
- “Siberi geenipärand jõudis Eesti aladele samaaegselt soome-ugri keeltega.”
- Pro-Kremlin Marine Le Pen visited EKRE in Tallinn. - See Wednesday
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Friday 17. May
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Sõna on surnud
Erik Moora - Eesti Ekspress
“Palju tõsisema hoobi sõnade kaalule on viimastel kuudel andnud peaminister Jüri Ratas. Tema on see, kellega vastutus algab ja lõpeb. Tema käes on erakordselt suur sümboolne võim, tema otsustab, kas sõnad maksavad midagi või on need kõigest kume tünnikõmin. Jüri Ratas on otsustanud, et tema sõnad olgu... eimiski.”
Estonia finance minister vows to oppose further EU integration
(Financial Times)
“An active campaigner against Estonia’s EU accession in 2003, Mr Helme said his party no longer supported leaving the union or the single currency as long as the EU remained a “union of nation states”.
—
“We do not contest Estonia’s participation in the EU or the eurozone,” said Mr Helme ahead of his first meeting at the eurogroup of finance ministers in Brussels on Thursday.”
—
“The far-right’s entry into government has raised alarm in Brussels and EU capitals that Tallinn could row back on its more than 15 years of pro-European policy.”
Opinion: The new far-right is sinking Estonia’s international reputation - who is responsible?
by Marcus Kolga - Estonian World
“What Jüri Ratas didn’t understand then nor does the present government, is that once, you’ve been asked to join the “club”, like NATO, in the EU, the OECD, etc, governments are always under scrutiny. … Instead of taking responsibility for the growing international public relations nightmare, blame is being heaped on those who have publicly criticised the ongoing stream of poor decisions and statements. The responsibility for this emerging crisis falls again, on one person, prime minister Ratas, who has seemingly gambled with Estonia’s domestic political decorum and international reputation in order to remain in office. …”
Kaliningradis kinni peetud Eesti laevalt alustati kala ümber laadimist
(Postimees | ERR)
“Morobelli juhataja Baumi sõnul sattus laev Venemaa majandusvööndisse elektronkaardi vea tõttu. Välisminister Urmas Reinsalu lubas kinni peetud Eesti meremeeste abistamiseks saata Kaliningradi konsuli.”
—
Spring Storm military exercises a success
(ERR)
“According to Maj. Gen Martin Herem, commander of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), ”It went more or less in accordance with our scenario …”
Venemaa õhutõrjekompleksid S-400 katavad Balti riigid tervikuna
(ERR)
“Venemaa on Balti riikide lähistele paigutanud kaks õhutõrjekompleksi S-400, millest üks asub Kaliningradi oblastis, teine aga Narva taga Ivangorodi piirkonnas ning mille laskeulatus katab nii Eesti, Läti kui ka Leedu territooriumi.”
Drones Find Unexpected Radiation 'Hotspots' in Forest Near Chernobyl
(Live Science | RFERL)
“Near ground zero of the catastrophic 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, aerial drones recently revealed radioactive hotspots that aren't on official maps. An inter-disciplinary team flew special drones over Ukraine's Red Forest, one of the most radioactive spots in the world, which is located 0.3 miles (500 meters) from the Chernobyl complex …”
—
Spioonid või poliitilised põgenikud?
(Postimees)
“Kaitsevärvi riides külmrelvadega üle piiri tulnud vene mehed äratasid kangeid kahtlusi.”
Construction commences in Estonian-Latvian 3rd interconnection project
(BNN)
“Latvia’s Augstsprieguma tīkls (AST) has commenced the next step in the high-voltage power line project for a new 330 kV power line from Riga TEC-2 all the way to Kilingi-Nõmme substation in Estonia.”
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II Outed Herself as a Fan of the EU in 1988
(Spiegel)
“This is revealed in a diplomatic cable written by Ambassador Rüdiger Freiherr von Wechmar after his farewell visit to the queen as he left the German Embassy in London in 1988. The document is held in the German Foreign Ministry's political archive. The cable, originally written in Germany, states that Queen Elizabeth II left "no doubt that the future of Britain lies in Europe.”
Germany informs NATO of defense budget increase
(Deutsche Welle)
“… from €5 billion to €47.3 billion. The increase would amount to 1.35% of gross domestic product (GDP) — still a long way off the 2% target …”
Why Russia’s Middle Class Is Shrinking
(The Moscow Times)
“In the five years since 2014, the share of those in Russia who consider themselves middle class has shrunk from 60 percent to 47 percent.”
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Thursday 16. May
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Siberi geenipärand jõudis Eesti aladele samaaegselt soome-ugri keeltega
(Novaator/ERR)
“Uurali keeli rääkivad rahvad, kes elavad praegu Euroopas ja Lääne-Siberis, sarnanevad geneetiliselt eelkõige oma lähinaabritega. Ungarlased kõrvale jättes on kõikide läänepoolseimate uurali rahvaste geneetilises pärandis siiski säilinud killuke nn idakomponenti, mida võib seostada Siberi rahvastega. Seda leidub ka näiteks meie Lääne-Siberi hõimurahvaste hantide ja manside ning Taimõri poolsaarel elavate nganassaanide genoomides, kirjutavad Tartu Ülikooli geneetikud Lehti Saag ja Kristiina Tambets.”
Paper: The Arrival of Siberian Ancestry Connecting the Eastern Baltic to Uralic Speakers further East
(Current Biology - 9. May 2019)
Prantsuse armee vahetas Tapal NATO lahingugrupis belglased välja
(ERR)
“Prantsusmaa lipu heiskamine tähistab nende missiooni algust. Ligi 300 prantsuse sõduri tulekuga lahkuvad siit belglased. Eestisse jäävad aga teenima britid, kes on liitlaste lahingugrupi juhtriik, mis tähendab, et nad on Tapal püsivalt, vahendas "Aktuaalne kaamera”."
When is the 'OK' gesture not OK?
(BBC)
“France's Marine Le Pen, of the far-right National Rally, is the latest politician to find themselves in hot water for signalling that everything is OK. While visiting Estonia's far-right EKRE party, which has just entered government, she made the ancient hand gesture in a selfie with the party's youth leader, Ruuben Kaalep.
There is just one problem - the symbol has been widely used by white nationalists in recent years, and for many people has taken on a darker meaning.”
Keda valida Euroopa Parlamenti? Suur valimismasin tuleb appi
(Postimees)
“Paar kuud pärat riigikogu valimisi on Eestis ja kogu Euroopas käimas uus kampaania europarlamenti pääsu eest. Eestis on end joonele seadnud 66 kandidaati.”
Russia Targeting European Parliamentary Elections With Help of Far-Right Politicans
(The Daily Beast - 12. May)
“Europe’s far-right politicians are reportedly using Russia’s tactics to spread disinformation and fear before crucial May vote.”
Estonian government endorses North Macedonia NATO accession protocol
(ERR)
“Pending the approval of the protocol pursuant to all member states' respective laws, North Macedonia is set to become the 30th member of the alliance.”
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Wednesday 15. May
__________
Pro-Kremlin French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen in Estonia
(ERR)
“Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French right-wing populist and nationalist National Rally, arrived in Estonia late Monday night, where she was welcomed by several Estonians, including Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) deputy chairman Jaak Madison.”
More articles:
Venemaa pidas Kaliningradi lähedal kinni Soome lipu all sõitva Eesti kalalaeva
(Postimees | ERR)
“Vene meedia väitel süüdistatakse Venemaa majandusvööndis kinni peetud laeva meeskonda kalastusreeglite rikkumises.”
—
ERR mõistis hukka Mart Helme rünnaku väliskorrespondendi vastu
(Delfi)
"Aktuaalse kaamera" Facebooki lehele postitati täna hommikul järgnev avaldus: "Aktuaalse Kaamera kõik ajakirjanikud jälgivad oma igapäevases töös väga rangelt head ajakirjanduslikku tava ja lähtuvad avalikkuse teenimisest. Eesti Vabariigi ministri ja valitsuserakonna juhi Mart Helme avaldus ERRi ajakirjaniku Maria-Ann Rohemäe suunal eilses ETV saates "Esimene stuudio", oli lubamatult solvav ja laimav. Maria-Ann Rohemäe on mitme aasta vältel kajastanud nii ERRi raadio- kui ka teleuudistes USA-s toimuvalt väga professionaalselt. Eestis on vaba ja sõltumatu ajakirjandus! Sõnavabadusega kaasneb ka vastutus ja see kehtib samamoodi valitsuse liikmetele!"
Finland is hosting Bold Quest, an annual US-led military exercise involving troops from 14 countries
(Yle)
If NATO Expansion Was a Mistake, Why Hasn’t Putin Invaded?
(Bloomberg)
“So-called foreign-policy realists are wrong to say enlarging NATO caused Russian aggression.”
Another viewpoint:
Eastern Partnership should remain as one of EU foreign policy priorities
(Baltic Times)
Kremlin Is Waging New Kind of War
(The Atlantic)
“What are Americans supposed to think when their leaders contradict one another on the most basic question of national security—who is the enemy? … Is Russia the enemy, or was the investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election just a slow-motion attack on the president and his supporters?”
—
“All the uncertainty is part of Vladimir Putin’s plan. America’s confusion is both a product and a principal goal of a qualitatively new kind of warfare that the Kremlin is waging—a campaign that systematically targets a democratic but politically divided society whose economy, media environment, and voting systems all depend on vulnerable electronic technologies. The essence of this strategy is to attack U.S.”
Interview: Outgoing Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko
(Politico-Europe)
“Poroshenko made a plea on Tuesday to his successor, the comedian and political novice Volodymyr Zelenskiy. "Please don't allow Putin, don't allow oligarchs, to ruin what we have done for these five years, and the results we have reached and the price we have paid for this opportunity and possibility for our nation …”
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Tuesday 14. May
__________
Estonia’s president plays down criticism over Putin meeting
(The Guardian)
“Kersti Kaljulaid’s Moscow visit has provoked flurry of criticism from the other Baltic states … “Talking to all neighbours is only natural, and it’s a bit unnatural that I have to explain it,” she told the Guardian, in an interview in Tallinn.”
What are 'European values’?
(Deutsche Welle)
“Human dignity, freedom, equality, democracy. "European values" often sound noble, but vague. Let’s be a bit more practical: If Europe were 100 people, what would they agree on?”
Beginning of the End of Open Borders in Europe?
(The American Conservative)
“Free movement has been the policy for years. Now it's under attack by an unlikely critic: Emmanuel Macron.”
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-beginning-of-the-end-of-open-borders-in-europe/
The Chernobyl Disaster Might Have Also Built A Paradise
(Wired)
“On April 26, 1986, a nuclear power plant called Chernobyl, on the Pripyat River about 70 miles north of Kiev, blew up and caught fire, spewing radiation across the northern hemisphere. So that was a big change.”
—
“Just a few other places on Earth used to have humans, but now no longer do. They become models for a different kind of world, even if—or maybe especially because—two of those places, Chernobyl and Fukushima, are also radioactive.”
Russia’s Two-Pronged Approach to Militarizing the Arctic
(Jamestown Org.)
“The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced, on April 19, that the Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command, headquartered in Severomorsk, will receive the status of a separate military-administrative unit by December. The move will de facto turn the entity into Russia’s newest Military District. … Such a development is unprecedented for Russia’s military-administrative divisions …”
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Monday 13. May
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Bloomberg Martin Helmest: Euroopa uusim rahandusminister tahab hoida oma riiki valgena
(Postimees)
“Ta tahab hoida oma riiki rassiliselt puhtana ja teeb žeste, mida kasutavad põhiliselt valgete ülemvõimu pooldajad. Ja tuleval nädalal ta istub maha ülejäänud euroala rahandusministritega,» alustab Bloomberg Helme tutvustamist.”
Europe’s Newest Finance Minister Wants to Keep His Country White
(Bloomberg)
“Estonia’s envoy to the Eurogroup meeting this week has some radical views about race more than finance.”
Lithuanians back dual citizenship with 43 countries but not Russia
(Euronews)
“Lithuanians overwhelmingly backed amending the constitution to allow for dual citizenship with certain countries during a referendum on Sunday. The motion was approved with about 71.9% of votes and opposed by just over 26%, preliminary results showed. Turnout was more than 52.6%.”
—
“If passed into law, it would amend Article 12 of the country's constitution so that Lithuanians can acquire a second citizenship without losing their birth nationality. Currently, dual citizenship is only granted on a case-by-case basis and is very difficult to get but could now be allowed, although only with 43 countries which meet "the criteria of European and transatlantic integration”.
Latvian Seima Becomes First Foreign Parliament to Recognize Genocide of the Crimean Tatars
(Window on Eurasia)
“Given the international support that Latvia and its two Baltic neighbors received during the Soviet occupation, many groups not surprisingly have looked to them for support against oppression since that time. Baltic actions have been mixed, reflecting the tension between what they would like to say and what they can given their proximity to Russia.”
—
“One very much hopes that the two other Baltic countries and then all countries around the world concerned with justice will adopt similar resolutions in support of the Crimean Tatars and against Russian crimes of genocide past and present against them.”
Krimmis on 40,000 Vene sõjaväelast, Donbassis 35,000 võitlejat
(ERR)
"Donetski ja Luganski oblastite okupeeritud aladel on kõik juhtivad sõjalised ametikohad venelaste käes, Venemaalt on ka eriüksused ja instruktorid.”
Swarms Of Drones, Piloted By Artificial Intelligence, May Soon Patrol Europe’s Borders
(The Intercept)
“This is not science fiction. The European Union is financing a project to develop drones piloted by artificial intelligence and designed to autonomously patrol Europe’s borders. The drones will operate in swarms, coordinating and corroborating information among fleets of quadcopters, small fixed-wing airplanes, ground vehicles, submarines, and boats. Developers of the project, known as Roborder, say the robots will be able to identify humans and independently decide whether they represent a threat. If they determine that you may have committed a crime, they will notify border police.”
Putin and Trump’s Ominous Nostalgia for the Second World War
By Masha Gessen - The New Yorker
“Victory Day is undoubtedly Russia’s most important, most grandly celebrated, and most political holiday. … The holiday has grown as the story of the Soviet victory in the Second World War has become central to Russia’s national identity. The Russian sociologist Lev Gudkov once told me that victory in the war made for the perfect myth because “it shines its light backwards and forwards.” It illuminates the prewar past in such a way as to justify the Stalinist terror that came before the war. It illuminates the postwar past in such a way as to explain how the Soviet Union became a superpower and to justify the terror that followed the war. There is a national longing for Russia to reclaim its superpower status, and the narrative of the Second World War renders this a righteous desire.”
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