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06 December, 2019


JĂ”ulu puhkust! 
EstoUudised tuleb 
tagasi jaanuaris, 2020. 
HĂ€id pĂŒhi kĂ”igile!

Christmas vacation! I’ll be taking the next three weeks off
but EstoNews will return January 2020. - Aavo

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(Dropbox)

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(Email)

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(Social Media) 




__________

Friday 
6. December
__________



'Tartu Peace Treaty is proof of our maturity as a state’
(ERR)
“Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu made a statement on the centenary of the Tartu peace negotiations and said celebrations will be held between Jan. 27 and Feb. 3, 2020 in remembrance.”
—
"A hundred years ago today, the most important international negotiations for Estonia began. Two months later, thanks to the efforts of our peace delegation, Estonia and Soviet Russia signed the Tartu Peace Treaty and the Republic of Estonia was born de jure.” - Urmas Reinsalu 




Eestikeelse KĂ”rghariduse SĂŒnd
(Eesti PĂ€evaleht)
“TĂ€na on teada ja tavaks saanud, et aasta aastalt kĂ€ib Tartu ĂŒlikooli Ă”ppekohtade pĂ€rast tihe rebimine. Sajand tagasi, 1919. aasta suvel oli asi hoopis teine - sĂŒgisel avatav rahvusĂŒlikool otsis ĂŒliĂ”pilasi ajalehekuulutusega. Teatele vastas septembriks ĂŒle 900 noore, kellest enam kui pooled olid rindel, pidamas VabadussĂ”jas lahingut Eesti iseseisvuse eest.. 
”



Sotsiaalmeedial on raskusi manipulatsiooni peatamisel
(Postimees)
“Sotsiaalmeediafirmad ei suuda peatada manipuleerimist oma platvormidel, seisis reedel NATO-ga seotud uurijate raportis.”



Eestis ligi 12,000 vaba töökohta
(ERR)
“Amet lisas, et vabade ametikohtade arv pĂŒsinud ĂŒle 10 000 alates 2017. aasta esimesest kvartalist.”



PISA study: Estonian pupils are the best in Europe
by Silver Tambur, Estonian World
“Estonia’s 15-year-olds rank first in reading, science and mathematics in Europe while in the world; the country’s students rank fifth in reading, eighth in mathematics and fourth in sciences.”











Õppejuht PISA testi tulemustest: kindlasti saab veel paremini
(Novaator)
“Pirita majandusgĂŒmnaasiumi pĂ”hikooli Ă”ppejuht Anne Reinkort ĂŒtles "Aktuaalsele kaamerale", et PISA testi tulemused tĂ”id kĂ”ikidele Eesti koolidele rÔÔmupĂ€eva.”
—
“Ta lisas, et Eesti peaks jĂ€tkama hariduses senist teed. "Tulemused on head. Alati saab paremini. Kuigi tundub, et kuhu veel edasi, aga kindlasti saab veel paremini. Arvan, et peame panustama sellesse, mis on hĂ€sti.”



What rich countries get wrong about the EU budget
(Politico-Europe)
“The story rich western European countries tell themselves is a nice one: They are generous souls helping out their poorer eastern neighbors, who rely on EU subsidies and the goodwill of the EU's so-called "net payers." They also like to paint these countries as ungrateful aid recipients 
”
—
“Contrary to popular wisdom, most of the money in Europe flows from East to West, not the other way around. In reality, the money western countries send to Eastern Europe through the EU budget pales in comparison with the profits western companies make from investments in the East.”





Denial at the Latvian Border
by Anna ĆȘdre, CEPA
“Latvia's blacklisting of pop singer Grigory Leps has been ridiculed by the Russian media. 
 called the decision “absurd” and “russophobic” 




Belarus Balks At Prospect Of Russia Merger
(RFERL)
“According to a leaked document allegedly signed by the two governments in September, a summary of which was published in the Russian daily Kommersant, the two countries will begin unifying their tax, customs, and banking systems with a view to creating a single energy regulator ahead of the formation of what amounts to a confederation by 2022.”
—
“But the negotiations appear to have shifted in recent weeks to posit a more modest road map. The common currency and judicial systems that were reportedly on the table are now off it, analysts say, and Lukashenka has made many statements pledging to stand firm in the defense of Belarusian sovereignty. 
”






__________

Thursday 
5. December
__________


Russia Shifting Cargo Traffic Away From Baltic Ports to Its Own
by Paul Goble, Jamestown Org.
“Since 2014, when Russia invaded Ukraine, Moscow has worked hard to reduce cargo traffic via seaports in the three Baltic States—Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia—to punish them for what the Kremlin sees as their unfriendly policies. Moscow has been doing this by building up its own ports on the Baltic Sea, putting pressure on Belarus and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries to avoid using the Baltic States’ ports, as well as counting on the West to oppose Chinese expansion in the region. 
”



Brexit is one of most spectacular mistakes in EU history
by Jennifer Rankin, The Guardian
“Donald Tusk says it would still be better for both sides if UK stayed in EU.”
— 
“In his first interview since standing down as European council president last week, Tusk said Brexit was “the most painful and saddest experience” of his five years in office, a tumultuous period marked by the Greek eurozone crisis, bitter rows over migration and the election of Donald Trump. He also criticised the French president, Emmanuel Macron, for branding Nato “brain-dead” and refusing to open EU membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania.”



What’s So Special About Crimea? Almost Everything
by Anna Nemtsova, The Daily Beast
“
 you control Crimea, you control the Black Sea. 
 much of the world is coming to accept Russia’s annexation of Crimea as irreversible, a fait accompli.”



Maskirovka?: Russia plans to deploy a motorized division in Kaliningrad
(BNN quoting ‘Rossiyskaya Gazeta’)
“
 which shares borders with Poland and Lithuania, as reported by Russian government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The newspaper mentions that the reason for the deployment of a military division is the increasing presence of NATO forces in the region.”
—
“The newspaper does not publish any detailed information about planned deployment of the military division, but it is mentioned that the arrival of the division will help protect Kaliningrad from an attack on land.”

Maskirovka: “The 1944 Soviet Military Encyclopedia refers to "means of securing combat operations and the daily activities of forces; a complexity of measures, directed to mislead the enemy regarding the presence and disposition of forces
" -Wiki



Putin Is Seeing ‘Foreign Agents’ Everywhere
By Leonid Bershidsky, Moscow Times
“I'm only one step from becoming a Russian "foreign agent."



What the New EU Leadership Should Do About Russia
by Sabine Fischer, Carnegie Moscow Center
“The EU’s Russia policy is at a crossroads. A new European Commission has just taken office, and its president, Ursula von der Leyen, has declared she wants a “geopolitical commission” that takes note of the fundamental changes in the international system, thereby preserving the EU’s key interest in democracy and a rule-based, multilateral international order.” 



Time to Rethink NATO’s Deterrent Strategy
(War on the Rocks)
“NATO’s deterrent strategy and posture is not well-matched to the contemporary threat environment. It is too focused on presence and not focused enough on mobility. Holding stubbornly to a presence-first approach appears to be a formula for gridlock as the costs it imposes become less tolerable 
”





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After Trump Left, weary diplomats delighted in what they were able to accomplish on substance
(Washington Post)
“What we prove today is that NATO delivers on substance,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, a usually subdued Norwegian leader who allowed himself a half grin — perhaps of relief — after he steered the group of 29 squabbling heads of state toward an almost normal conclusion. At NATO, he said, “the rhetoric is not always excellent, but substance is perfect.”
—
“At NATO headquarters Thursday, diplomats and military officers walked in and out of the lobby Starbucks joking and ordering celebratory lattes. Ambassadors were back in their offices after the migration to London, where the summit was held at a 18th-century estate outside the city.”
—
“They pointed to a list of achievements that was summarized in a dry, two-page declaration that leaders signed on to at the meeting — not scintillating literature but nevertheless important in giving a political endorsement that sets vast bureaucracies in motion to fulfill the directions.”


Our weary diplomat
NATO London Meeting 4. December 2019
Photo: Frank Augstein / AP



A NATO Summit to End All NATO Summits
(New York Magazine)
“To find out what actually happened at the summit, what decisions were made or what issues were discussed, you have to dig fairly deep down into, say, the Washington Post’s write-up [see above - Aavo], which devotes 13 paragraphs to Trump’s spat with Trudeau before even beginning to address the substance of the meeting. And substance there was! It was by all accounts a fairly productive summit, with the leaders of the 29 member states signing off on a number of initiatives, including to protect energy and telecommunication infrastructure, expand defense planning into space, and respond to the growing global influence of China.”





JĂŒri Ratas: leidsime TĂŒrgiga lahenduse, kaitseplaan sai heakskiidu
(ERR | Postimees | Delfi)
“Peaminister JĂŒri Ratas andis Londonis toimuvalt NATO tippkohtumiselt teada, et liitlased jĂ”udsid ĂŒksmeelele Balti riikide ja Poola kaitseplaani uuendamises ning TĂŒrgi kĂŒsimuses.” 
—
—











Media leaks helped sway Turkey on NATO's Baltic defence plans
(LRT | Reuters)
“Reporters asked insistently, why would you harm the Baltic states, [Turkey] had to answer inconvenient questions. 
”
—
—



Essays: NATO’s Next 70 Years
TomĂĄĆĄ ValĂĄĆĄek, Editor - Carnegie Europe
[A collection of essays on how NATO can best 
serve its member states’ interests in the future.]



More NATO Articles:
(Various open sources)
















Finland PM Antti Rinne resigned
(Yle | The Hill | Helsinki Times)
“The Finnish political scene is in turmoil after Prime Minister Antti Rinne stepped down after just six months on the job.”
—
—




__________

Tuesday 
3. December
__________


NATO recognizes China 'challenges' for the first time in history
(Deutsche Welle)
“The NATO chief stressed that the alliance did not seek "to create a new adversary but just to analyze, understand and then respond in a balanced way to the challenges China poses."



Estonia votes in favor of hiding tech giants' profits
(BNS via ERR)
“Estonia decided to join the ranks of a minority consisting of mostly Eastern European countries in Brussels that voted against obligating major tech giants, such as Google, Apple and Facebook 
”



Estonia to buy new embassy building in Riga
(ERR)
“The government intends to buy a building opposite the presidential palace in Riga and open the first new Estonian embassy with an "open" concept, following in the footsteps of Scandinavia and Switzerland.”



Ukraine: The Betrayal of President Volodymyr Zelensky
(The Atlantic)
“The surreal story of how a comedian who played the Ukrainian president on TV became the president in real life—then found himself at the center of an American political scandal.”







What To Expect If The United States Withdraws From NATO
(War on the Rocks, 29. November)
“This nightmare scenario has been on the mind of many security policy officials, and experts, ever since the New York Times reported in January 2019 that Trump discussed several times over the course of 2018 wanting to withdraw from the alliance. Congress has acted and passed the NATO Support Act, which prohibits the use of funds to withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Yet the possibility of such a move cannot entirely be excluded. 
”



Constitutional Issues Relating to the NATO Support Act
(Lawfare, January 2019)





Opinion: Will Europe Ever Trust America Again?
(New York Times)
“Until recently, most European leaders’ hopes were bound up with the outcome of America’s presidential elections. If Mr. Trump were to lose in 2020, they believed, the world would somehow return to normalcy.
All of that has changed. While Trump-friendly governments in Europe, like Poland’s and Hungary’s, still follow the polls and cross their fingers that Mr. Trump will get four more years in office, European liberals are giving up hope. It is not that they are no longer passionate about American politics. On the contrary, they religiously follow Congress’s impeachment hearings and pray for Mr. Trump’s defeat. But they have finally started to realize that a proper European Union foreign policy cannot be based on who is in the White House.”



Opinion: A European Army? It’ll Never Happen
(Bloomberg)
“The dream of an EU alternative to U.S. protection is just that. NATO remains as essential as ever.”



Trump re-election could sound death knell for Nato, allies fear
(The Guardian)
“A European diplomat in Washington pointed out that under the Trump administration, the US military presence on the alliance’s eastern flank has been stepped up, but expressed concern that such reinforcements were driven by other administration officials seeking to compensate for Trump’s personal affinity for Vladimir Putin and his denigration of his European allies.”
—
“The greatest fear is what he would do in a second term. He would be more free from constraints,” the diplomat said, adding that he was under pressure from his capital to assess what a second Trump term would look like. “It is impossible to predict.”

Former national security adviser John Bolton speech of 12. Nov.
(NBCNews)
”At one point in closed-door remarks, Bolton was asked what he thinks will happen in January 2021 if Trump is re-elected 
 Bolton said Trump could go full isolationist - with the faction of the Republican Party that aligns with (Sen. Rand) Paul’s foreign policy views taking over the GOP - and could withdraw the U.S. from NATO and other international alliances.”







__________

Monday 
2. December
__________



JĂŒri Luik: Venemaa on nĂŒĂŒd uuesti oht ja vajadus NATO jĂ€rele on tugevam kui kunagi varem
(Delfi)
“KĂŒsimusele, kas Mart Helme (EKRE) lobises mingi saladuse vĂ€lja, kui ta Soome ajakirjanikele "plaan B-st" rÀÀkis, kinnitas Luik taas, et mingit plaan B-d ei ole, kuid ette vĂ”ib kujutada, mis valikud Eestil ilma NATO-ta vĂ”iksid olla. "Me kujutame ette, mis valikud on – kui ei ole NATO-t, siis on Euroopa Liit, on vĂ”imalik mingi PĂ”hjamaade koostöö, aga selge on see, et ĂŒkski nendest teistest variantidest ei taga heidutust. Ainus reaalne heidutus on see, kuhu on kaasatud ka Ameerika Ühendriigid.”










Estonian pensioners are among the poorest in OECD countries
(ERR)
“The study, Pensions at a Glance 2019, shows Estonia has the second largest relative share of pensioners living in relative poverty after South Korea. While in South Korea approximately 44 % of people over 65 live in relative poverty, in Estonia the number is 35 % compared to the OECD average of 14 %. On average, 15.7 % of people in Estonia live below the relative poverty line.”



Putin Will Launch New Offensives in 2020 to Recover Standing at Home
by Paul Goble
“In the course of 2019, Vladimir Putin has been in a holding action, a position that has cost him support because nothing he has done has inspired the Russian population, Sergey Shelin says. As a result, he and his entourage are deciding where they will in fact go over to “the attack” in the coming year.”



Putin signs off law targeting journalists as 'foreign agents’
(Deutsche Welle)
“The law can apply to anyone who distributes content that is produced by media outlets registered as foreign agents. The move has been criticized as a further restriction on freedom of expression in the country.”



Russia Deploys New Missile System Along Norwegian Border
(The Moscow Times)
“The Pechenga valley is located in the Kola Peninsula along the borders to neighboring Norway and Finland. The distance from the local military base to Norway is about 10 kilometers. Located less than 100 kilometers away is Vardþ, the Norwegian town known for housing the Globus intelligence radar system. According to the Northern Fleet, the purpose of the Tor-M2DT's deployment is to secure air space control and defense.”




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