Petserimaa Vabadussõja monumendi avamisel Värskas
(President.ee)
[President Kaljulaidi kõne.]
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| Foto © Kaitsevägi | President.ee |
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Friday 24. July
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Baltic ministers condemn Russia's attempts to rewrite history
(ERR)
“In a joint statement Estonian foreign minister Urmas Reinsalu, Latvian foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics, Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevicius and the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned Russia's actions.”
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"We stand firmly against any attempts by Russia to rewrite history in order to justify the 1940 occupation and annexation of the Baltic states by the Soviet Union. The Welles Declaration shows that already in 1940 the free world recognized the Soviet action for what it was – an illegal act of forceful annexation.”
https://news.err.ee/1115728/pompeo-baltic-ministers-condemn-russia-s-attempts-to-rewrite-history
- “Latvia rebuts latest Russian historical revisionism.” - Latvian Broadcasting
- “Joint Statement by the U.S. Secretary of State and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.” - U.S. State Department
- “Message on the 80th Anniversary of the Welles Declaration.” - U.S. Embassy in Estonia, 22. July 2020
- “Historic 'Welles Declaration' remembered 80 years on.” - Latvian Broadcasting
Related Wells documents from the
Wilson Center Digital Archive
- “Ambassador Laurence Steinhardt on rumors that the Soviet Union is planning to take control of Latvia and Estonia.” - 17. Feb. 1940
- “Welles Declaration, Department Of State: Statement By The Acting Secretary Of State, The Honorable Sumner Welles.” - 23. July 1940
- “Department Of State, Memorandum, 'Current United States Policy Toward Lithuania, Latvia, And Estonia’.” - November 05, 1965
11 Euroopa riigist Eestisse saabujatele kehtivad piirangud
(ERR)
“Tuginedes koroonaviiruse nakatunute suhtarvule kehtib alates esmaspäevast, 27. juulist kahe nädala pikkune liikumisvabaduse piirang neile Euroopast saabujatele, kes tulevad Eestisse Rootsist, Luksemburgist, Rumeeniast, Bulgaariast, Andorrast, Portugalist, Hispaaniast, Horvaatiast, Belgiast, Monacost ja Tšehhist.”
https://www.err.ee/1116698/11-euroopa-riigist-eestisse-saabujatele-kehtivad-piirangud
- “Uuendatud teave: riigid, millest Eestisse reisides kehtib kahenädalane liikumisvabaduse piirang.” - Elu24
Finland's national word 'SISU'
(The World)
“What does sisu mean? It’s hard to come up with a straightforward translation. TEDx speaker André Noël Chaker said it’s like “courage on steroids.” Well, that’s a starting point. …”
https://www.pri.org/stories/2020-07-22/finlands-national-word-sisu-conjures-new-meanings-tough-times
Estonia receives 92 Javelin anti-tank missiles from the U.S.
(ERR)
“The FGM-148 Javelin is an American man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank missile fielded to replace the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in US service. It uses automatic infrared guidance that allows the user to seek cover immediately after launch, as opposed to wire-guided systems, like the Dragon, which requires the user to actively guide the weapon throughout the engagement.”
https://news.err.ee/1116591/estonia-receives-92-javelin-missiles-from-the-u-s
“Eesti sai USA-lt 92 Javelini raketti.” - Postimees
Pandemic’s Geopolitical Aftershocks
(The Atlantic)
“Michael Clarke, a defense-studies professor, said “Putin’s aggressive opportunism will probably get worse. The nature of Putin’s leadership is that he can’t stand still; he has to keep pushing forward. This makes him more volatile.” What happens if the Russian leader, spooked by the country’s collapsing economy, eyes an opportunity to test NATO’s resolve? Others, such as Bruno Maçães, Portugal’s former Europe minister, told me that the crisis might not embolden Russia, but cripple it, leaving it more dependent on China and bringing Beijing’s sphere of influence to the borders of continental Europe. “Crises,” Kaplan noted, “put history on fast-forward.”
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Thursday 23. July
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Intervjuu: Andrus Ansip
(ERR)
https://www.err.ee/1115540/andrus-ansip-ma-ei-tahaks-rahva-kannatust-enam-proovile-panna
Sinimägede mälestusüritus tuleb tänavu küll vaiksem, aga Vene provokatsioone ei kardeta
(Õhtuleht)
Helme esitas uue ettepaneku välismaalaste seaduse muutmiseks
(ERR)
“Siseminister Mart Helme (EKRE) esitas neljapäeval uuendatud ettepanekud välismaalaste seaduse muutmiseks. Ühe olulisema muutusena on nõutav palgamiinimum toodud allapoole. Ettepanekud puudutavad lühiajalise töötamisega seotud küsimusi, Eestis õppimise tingimusi, lühiajalise töötamisega ja õppimisega kaasneva pererände võimaldamise tingimusi, välismaalasele makstava töötasu nõuet, elamisloa andmist kaaluka riikliku huvi korral ning võimaluste loomist politsei-ja piirivalveametile tõhusamalt kontrollida välismaalase Eestis töötamise ja õppimise tingimuste täitmist.”
https://www.err.ee/1116303/helme-esitas-uue-ettepaneku-valismaalaste-seaduse-muutmiseks
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https://www.err.ee/1115803/helme-loodame-valismaalaste-seaduse-eelnou-jargmisel-nadalal-lukku-luua
Estonia’s borrowing should be capped at 20% of GDP
(Postimees)
“Estonia’s strong financial situation means it is too early to lament public debt running away from us, Dmitri Jegorov, deputy secretary general for the Ministry of Finance, finds in an interview.”
https://news.postimees.ee/7023875/borrowing-should-be-capped-at-20-percent-of-gdp
Belarus: Uprising in Europe's Last Dictatorship
By Jean Mackenzie, BBC
“Activists and journalists are being rounded up and jailed in Belarus ahead of next month’s elections. People say it’s the most brutal crackdown the country has ever known.”
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| A protester tells of police arresting individuals by dragging them into vans Screenshot from the BBC report |
Dismissed as 'poor things', three women try to unseat the male president of Belarus
(Reuters)
“Dismissed by the incumbent as too fragile to run Belarus because of their gender, three women have joined forces to try to unseat President Alexander Lukashenko, a man the United States once called Europe’s last dictator. Lukashenko, who has ruled the country for over a quarter of a century, has cracked down to try to snuff out rare and sustained protests against him ahead of a presidential election next month, jailing rivals and arresting dissenters.”
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“He faces his biggest challenge in years due to frustration over his hands-off handling of the coronavirus pandemic and grievances over the economy and human rights. With his male challengers either barred from running or in prison, two of their wives and a female campaign team member of another have united to try to beat him in the Aug. 9 election.”
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| Veronika Tsepkalo, Svetlana Tikhanouskaya, and Maria Kolesnikova Photo: Vasily Fedosenko | Reuters |
- “Belarusian Opposition Candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya Moves Her Children Out Of Country.” - RFERL
- “If Lukashenka stumbles badly in August, a Russian move to absorb Belarus cannot be ruled out.” - The American Interest
Ukraine: What’s Next for President Volodymyr Zelensky
(Carnegie Moscow - 17. July)
“A further fall in President Zelensky’s ratings could become a serious demotivating factor for the former TV star. His transformation from the “people’s president” into yet another Ukrainian politician with broken promises, a state dacha, and a dodgy entourage will primarily weigh on the president himself.”
https://carnegie.ru/commentary/82317
“Ukraine: Zelenskiy ran on a reform platform. Is he delivering?” - Brookings
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Wednesday 22. July
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There is no hidden spread of coronavirus in Estonia
(ERR)
“Between July 6 - July 20, a total of 23 new infections were diagnosed in Estonia, the Health Board said in its weekly round-up. The infection rate is 1.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. … Cases were registered in Harju, Ida-Viru, Järva, Lääne, Pärnu and Tartu counties.”
https://news.err.ee/1115516/health-board-there-is-no-hidden-spread-of-coronavirus-in-estonia
- “Swedish Public Health Agency report sheds light on the toll of the country's lax policies.” - Salon
Kaitseväe uued automaatrelvad jõudsid Eestisse
(Postimees)
“Eestisse jõudis sellel nädalal esimene partii Ameerika Ühendriikide relvatootjalt Lewis Machine & Tool Company (LMT) hangitud automaatrelvi R20 Rahe, mis vahetavad välja kõik praegu kaitseväes kasutuses olevad automaatrelvad.”
https://www.postimees.ee/7023381/kaitsevae-uued-automaatrelvad-joudsid-eestisse
- “Estonia receives first batch of R20 Rahe automatic rifles.” - Defence Blog
Estonia’s ambitious rail investment plan underway
(Railway Gazette)
“We have set in motion a very ambitious investment plan running to 2030 that will take our railway infrastructure to a new level of quality and safety’, reported Erik Laidvee, CEO of infrastructure manager Eesti Raudtee.”
“Pärnu – Latvian border Rail Baltica contract awarded.” - Railway Gazette
Self-censorship and freedom of speech in Finland
(Helsinki Times)
“Finland has traditionally had strong freedom of speech and opinion. We are used to seeing these rights as self-evident, part of a democratic state governed by the rule of law. However, lately there have been repeated cases, both in the media and even in the work of public authorities, which have sparked further debate on the state of freedom of expression.”
German defense minister: US troop withdrawal a cause for NATO concern
(Deutsche Welle)
“If they [the troops] stay in Europe, then this remains a commitment towards NATO. But if they were to be restationed in the Indo-Pacific region, then that would indicate a change to US strategy, which then would spark a debate within NATO.”
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Tuesday 21. July
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Estonia to get over € 6.8 bln under EU deal
(Baltic Course)
“Estonia did well beyond expectations at the budget talks of the European Union, such as in securing three billion euros in cohesion policy or structural funds under the new EU long-term budget …”
http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/baltic_states/?doc=157585
EL-i valitsusjuhid saavutasid eelarvekokkuleppe
(ERR)
“Euroopa Liidu valitsusjuhid jõudsid teisipäeva varahommikul, kõneluste viiendal päeval kokkuleppele ühenduse järgmise seitsme aasta eelarves ja majanduse taaskäivitamise fondis ehk kokku 1,82 triljoni euro jagamises.”
https://www.err.ee/1115083/el-i-valitsusjuhid-saavutasid-eelarvekokkuleppe
- “Takeaways from the EU budget and recovery deal.” - Politico-Europe
With its recovery deal, is the EU finally starting to act like a unifying force?
(The Guardian)
“The global financial crisis in 2008 exposed the inherent fragilities and incompleteness of Europe’s monetary union, prompting a decade of agonising debate over fiscal union.”
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“But now European leaders seem to be finally facing up this profound architectural problem. Common debt, common expenditure and the possibility of common taxation – which all seemed out of reach over the last decade – were accepted this week unanimously after a marathon summit that lasted more than four days.”
A Guide to the EU budget deal
(Politico-Europe)
“Who gets what under the new 7-year spending plan.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/politico-guide-to-the-eu-budget-deal-mff-2021-2027/
Belarusian Elections and Beyond
(Jamestown Org.)
“Belarus’s GDP reportedly declined 1.8 percent during the first five months of the year. Meanwhile, as expectations continue to ramp up regarding the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BNPP) starting operations at the beginning of 2021, tensions have notably been rising between neighboring Lithuania and the other two Baltic States, Latvia and Estonia. Lithuania is doggedly opposed to the BNPP and rejects purchasing any electricity from the plant once it is operational; the other two Baltic republics are not.”
https://jamestown.org/program/belarusian-elections-and-beyond/
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Russia
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The Kremlin’s Weakening Grip
By Edward Lucas, CEPA
“Once firmly in control, Putin now faces new challenges to his rule.”
https://www.cepa.org/the-kremlins-weakening-grip
Putin Orders Combat Readiness Check Near Ukrainian Border
(Warsaw Institute)
“On July 17, a snap combat readiness check kicked off, with troops of Russia’s Southern and Western military districts. It also involves airborne troops and marine infantry from the Northern and Pacific Fleets. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to dispatch 150,000 personnel and 26,000 pieces of military hardware to the site.”
https://warsawinstitute.org/putin-orders-combat-readiness-check-near-ukrainian-border/
Fear And Loathing in Post-Plebiscite Russia
By Brian Whitmore, CEPA
“The Kremlin’s new campaign of repression is intimidating the opposition — and exposing the Putin regime’s anxieties.”
https://www.cepa.org/fear-and-loathing-in-russia
Yuri Dmitriev, Gulag historian, handed three-and-a-half year jail term
(Euronews | The Moscow Times)
“The sentence was for "violence of a sexual nature" against his adopted daughter. But his supporters say the case is an attempt to silence Dmitriev, who has spent nearly 30 years compiling a list of the 40,000 people deported or executed under Joseph Stalin in Karelia, a Russian region bordering Finland.”
—
“Here’s how Yuri Dmitriev became a ‘political prisoner.” - Meduza
Domestic Violence in Russia: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Ekaterina Aleynikova, Chatham House
“Russia is one of the few countries in the region to have no legal definition of domestic violence and, as a result, there are no protective measures specific to domestic violence such as restraining orders or compulsory anger management training for abusers. In fact, the government has taken steps in recent years to remove any legal distinction between assault happening in one’s home, and elsewhere, with battery among family or household members for first-time offences decriminalized in 2017.”
https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/domestic-violence-russia-impact-covid-19-pandemic
“Pandemic Didn’t Cause Russians to Rally Around Putin.” - Paul Goble
The Real Reason Behind Russia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Hacks
By Anna Nemtsova, The Daily Beast
“… to discredit Western coronavirus vaccines.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-real-reason-behind-russias-covid-19-vaccine-hacks?ref=author
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