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24 January, 2020


Kaljulaid Antartikas
(BNN | ERR | Baltic Times)
“On 21. January Kaljulaid arrived on the King George Island after taking a flight from South America. On the island, she joined the Admiral Bellingshausen expedition arranged by the Estonian Maritime Museum and NGO Thetis, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica.”














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Friday 
24. January
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Site selection for Estonia's first nuclear power plant underway
(ERR)
“Fermi Energia is committed to building a modern modular nuclear power plant with a capacity of 200-300 MW. By comparison, Estonia's total electricity consumption on a white and warm midsummer night is 400 MW. 
 (the) nuclear plant could be completed in the early 2030s if the optimistic scenario is met.”



Estonians divided on security risk posed by current government
(ERR)
“Estonians are divided on whether the actions of the current government are a security risk to the country, the results of a survey show.”



When Russia Goes to War: Motives, Means and Indicators
by Konrad Muzyka - ICDS
“When Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the Euro-Atlantic structures in 2004, they permanently detached themselves from the direct tools of Russian influence. Russian military operations against the Baltic states are very unlikely in the current security environment.”
—
“Russia’s goals in the opening stages of a conflict would thus be the total destruction of the opposing forces and their combat potential. Any Allied forces in north-east Poland would also need to be engaged and destroyed to prevent timely reinforcement of the Baltic states. Russian forces in the Kaliningrad Oblast would play a supplementary role 
”
—
“Russia’s chances of seizing the Baltic states could be significantly raised by using Belarus (also its armed forces) as a springboard for operations 
”
or



The Number of American troops in the Baltics is not everything
(Baltic Times)
“I actually see the Donald Trump administration's approach to the Baltic states with a certain level of continuity with the previous administration. (...)  You have a European security initiative which was the focus of the US Congress and the previous administration to really bulk up our defenses, the NATO defenses, in part with an eye towards the Baltics. And that has only increased. 
 the question isn’t more forces – it’s a smart application of forces.” - security expert Roger Zakheim



EL ja Boris Johnson allkirjastasid Ühendkuningriigi lahkumise leppe
(ERR)
“Lepe jĂ”uab europarlamenti 29. jaanuaril ning kaks pĂ€eva hiljem, 31. jaanuaril kinnitavad leppe kirjalikult ka EL-i riikide diplomaadid. See tagab brittide lahkumise blokist 31. jaanuari keskööl.”






Miks on Putinile stalinlik ajalugu nii oluline?
Marko Mihkelson - Edasi
“KGB arhiivides on Orwelli “1984” peetud kĂŒll “kĂ”ige jĂ€lgimaks raamatuks NĂ”ukogude Liidu kohta”, kuid selle ĂŒks tuntumaid tsitaate “Kes kontrollib minevikku, see kontrollib tulevikku; kes kontrollib olevikku, see kontrollib minevikku” on ilmselt iga tĆĄekisti katekismuseks.”


 Stalini sĂŒnniaastapĂ€evale pĂŒhendatud plakat Moskvas, 2019

Why Stalinist history matters to Putin
by Marko Mihkelson - ERR
“While the KGB archives have described "1984" as "one of the most disgusting books about the Soviet Union," one of its most famous quotes: "Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past," likely constitutes words to live by for every Chekist.”



Putin the ‘Historian’ versus Poland
by Igor Gretskiy - Riddle
“On the eve of the Catholic Christmas, Vladimir Putin gave Warsaw an unpleasant “present.” He made three public statements within five days, claiming the Polish pre-war government was partially responsible for unleashing World War II. In fact, Putin accused Poland of collusion with Hitler driven by expansionism, anti-Semitism and hostility towards the Soviet Union. 
 Putin clearly wanted to provoke Poland. And he succeeded: his rather free interpretation of history raised a storm of indignation among the Polish public.”



Subverting Nato From Within
by Janusz Bugajski  - CEPA 14. Jan
“For Russia’s officials, there are three categories of NATO states: the vulnerable, the exploitable, and the resisters. The vulnerable states are small countries bordering Russia or new members that are more susceptible to outside pressures. The three Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are more exposed than other NATO members and the Kremlin combines disinformation offensives and direct threats to try and undermine their governments and limit their engagement with the United States and other allies.”



Russian Activists Launch 'Public Campaign' Against Putin's 'Constitutional Coup’
(RFERL)
“A group of more than 30 activists, public figures and local Moscow politicians have created an online "manifesto" urging Russian citizens to resist President Vladimir Putin's proposed constitutional amendments.”
—
“Novaya Gazeta, which published the document late on January 23, said more than 8,000 have already signed the manifesto, which calls Putin's amendments a "constitutional coup" that is directed at keeping "Putin and his corrupt regime" in power until he dies.”






Learning from Estonia Could Transform Croatia in Under 5 Years
(Total Croatia News)
“There is one major difference between Estonia succeeding and Croatia, and Estonia holds a huge advantage in this regard. Ironically, it has the Soviet Union to thank for enabling its current success to happen. Estonians were so against the old regime with independence that they were willing to trust their new government, which made the introduction of all this much easier, as residents were more trusting that their data would be protected. Given the polarised nature of Croatian society, there would have to be a different approach.”







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Thursday 
23. January
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Kreml taaselustab Eestis punamonumente
(Propastop)
“JĂ€rve metsa kivil jĂ€eti kasutamata vĂ”imalus loobuda taastamise kĂ€igus propagandistlikust tekstist “Igavene mĂ€lestus langenutele vĂ”itluses faĆĄismiga” ja asendada see neutraalse lausega “Igavene mĂ€lestus II maailmasĂ”jas langenutele”.



Putini pÔhiseadusmuudatused lÀbisid riigiduumas esimese lugemise
(ERR)
“Venemaa alamkoja saadikud kiitsid neljapĂ€eval esimesel lugemisel ĂŒhehÀÀlselt heaks eelnĂ”u, mis kĂ€tkeb president Vladimir Putini pĂ”hiseadusmuudatusi. Ees seisavad veel teine ja kolmas lugemine.”



Selgusid metsloomaohtlikud teelÔigud
(Postimees)
“Maanteeamet analĂŒĂŒsis koostöös keskkonnakonsultatsioonifirmaga Hendrikson & Ko aastatel 2014–2018 riigimaanteedel juhtunud loomaĂ”nnetusi ja koondas need registrisse. Andmete pĂ”hjal valmis avalik kaardirakendus, kus saab tutvuda eriti ulukiohtlike teelĂ”ikudega.”



Zelensky Walks the Knife’s Edge
(The American Interest)
“
 events have conspired to create an inauspicious set of circumstances under which to pursue his chosen path—a situation that could both destabilize his government domestically and undermine Ukraine with respect to its great northern antagonist. By all accounts, Zelensky acquitted himself well in his first major test at the Normandy Format Summit on December 9, but the underlying state of affairs will remain disproportionately fraught for both Ukraine and Zelensky.”





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Wednesday 
22. January
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Vana mets aeglustab turberaiel uute puude kasvukiirust
(Novaator)
“Turberaie abil uuendatud metsas on kasvama hakkavate noorte puude kasvukiirus vĂ”rreldes lageraiejĂ€rgse metsakultuuriga oluliselt aeglasem, selgub Eesti MaaĂŒlikooli teadlaste uuringust.”



Lithuania catching up with Europe
(LRT)
“Lithuania's GDP per capita has reached 81 percent of the EU average 
”



Population continues to fall in Latvia
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“18,589 births were registered in 2019 - 725 births fewer than in 2018.”



Lithuanian-Ukrainian relationship: most important to know the Ukrainians‘ plan
(Lithuania Tribune)
“Political scientist Laurynas Jonavičius says that Lithuanian-Ukrainian relations are based on how Lithuania wants a Western-oriented Ukraine in its neighbourhood and is intensively working on this matter. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s interest is to have an ally and supporter within Western structures, who could help “push” Ukraine’s interests and encourage cooperation.”



Putini reformid - sammuke diktatuuri ja sÔjaohu poole
(Postimees)
“Mingisugust ĂŒleminekut ei ole ega tule. Putin ei kavatsegi anda vĂ”imu kellegi teise kĂ€tte, mingit jĂ€rglast ta ei mÀÀra. Putini jĂ€rglane on Putin ise. Ning Venemaa kĂ”rgeim vĂ”imuesindaja ei kanna enam nimetust «president», vaid «Vladimir Putin», kirjutab kolumnist Andrei KuzitĆĄkin.” 





Putin’s stock market soars
(Axios)
“Despite tough U.S. sanctions, Russia's economy is picking up steam, and its financial markets are delivering massive rewards to investors.”
—
"It's important not to confuse financial markets with economic well-being," George Friedman, founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures, tells Axios. "Outside Moscow and St. Petersburg conditions are bleak. This is why I don’t hold financial markets as predictive. In Russia, markets are up and towns outside the major cities are getting hurt."



Russia’s new cabinet members
(Meduza - Parts 1 and 2)
“On January 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a new executive cabinet proposed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The appointments were part of a major shakeup in the country’s government that will help determine Putin’s future and the future of Russia’s constitutional system. In this two-part series, Meduza profiles each of the country’s new cabinet members in brief.”
and:




Mikhail Mishustin: The New Russian Prime Minister’s Agenda
(Carnegie Moscow)
“Russians can expect a shift in emphasis from taxation to the allocation of funds as (Mikhail) Mishustin draws on his management skills to make government spending as orderly and transparent as taxation became under his leadership.”







Russia Prepares for Tandemocracy
(Carnegie Moscow)
“President Vladimir Putin’s state of the nation address on January 15 made it quite clear that he will step down from the presidency in 2024—or earlier—as the Russian constitution requires, but only after he has put in place a system enabling him to influence his successor. This means a return to a tandemocracy like that seen in 2008–2012, when Putin stood down and served as prime minister under Dmitry Medvedev to adhere to the constitutional ban on more than two consecutive presidential terms. The major constitutional reforms put forward by Putin involve all branches of power and their system of interaction.”




















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Tuesday 
21. January
__________


Moscow’s Holocaust revisionism
(Politico-Europe)
“As the world commemorates 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, Russia is trying to rewrite history. Far from being a “liberator,” the Soviet Union was a facilitator of Nazi Germany and a perpetrator of crimes of its own — before and after the liberation of Auschwitz. Given that the European Union was born from the ashes of World War II, we must guard against false narratives like those being peddled today.”



Russia and Poland’s war of words over the second world war
(The Spectator)
“Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has suggested Poland is partly to blame for the war’s outbreak. Poland’s president Andrzej Duda has hit back, accusing Putin of an ‘historical lie’. ‘The words of Vladimir Putin are a complete distortion of historical truth.”
—
“For many Poles, today’s row with Russia is only the latest continuation of Putin’s nonsense and fake news.”




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