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16 October, 2020

 



For Baltic Defense, Forget The ‘Forest Brothers’
By Kevin Blachford and Ronald Ti, War on the Rocks
“Baltic defense planners need to recognize that deterrence and defense can be strengthened by accepting the possibility of urban operations. The Forest Brothers-ideal presents a more palatable and more emotionally acceptable prospect, than taking lessons from the Islamic State as defenders in an asymmetric conflict. Yet, the Forest Brother myth neglects how such a form of paramilitarism is likely to be operationally obsolete, and as militarily ineffective as it was in 1949. Baltic defense planners and allied members of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence need to consider the possibilities for future urban-based resistance. Clinging to the Forest Brothers ideal will only reinforce a collective unwillingness among Baltic states to contemplate the likely threat posed to the populations of the three nations. In 2020, nostalgia for a paramilitarism of national resistance may strengthen the bonds of national unity. But it is poor preparation for defending against an aggressive larger power.”




— Covid-19 —
















— Friday 16. October —


Jõuluturgu Raekoja platsil 
ei toimu sel aastal
(Delfi | Postimees)
“Viirusohu tõttu jääb sel talvel Tallinnas Raekoja platsil traditsiooniline jõuluturg ära ning selle asemel otsib linn koostööd vanalinna käsitöömüüjate, restoranide ja ühiskondlike hoonete pidajatega.”
—



Mart Helme intervjuus Deutsche Wellele
(Postimees | Delfi)
“… milles ta iseloomustas president Vladimir Putinit, avaldas arvamust Venemaa vastaste sanktsioonide kohta ning rõhutas mehe ja naise abielu kui ainuõigsust.”
—






Intervjuu: Jonatan Vseviov
(ERR)
“Välisministeeriumi tulevane kantsler Jonatan Vseviov on jätkuvalt Eesti suursaadik Washingtonis. Muidugi ei ütle ta, keda tema eelistaks USA järgmise presidendina, aga peab telefonitsi intervjuud andes nauditava loengu välispoliitika tegemisest üldiselt ja sellest, kui ohtlik on väikeriigile jääda loorberitele magama.”



RMK keeldub avalikustamast rahvale tähtsate metsade kaarti
Ülle Harju, Postimees (paywall)
“Riigimetsa Majandamise Keskus (RMK) keeldub avalikustamast, kus asuvad riigimetsas kõrgendatud avaliku huviga (KAH) alad, kus toimuva metsaraie peab kogukonnaga kooskõlastama. Küpset majandusmetsa on ligi nelja aasta lageraie jagu vähem kui kuvatakse avalikkusele.”



Lennufirmad hõrendavad talveks järsult Tallinnast lendamist 
(ERR)
“Tallinna lennujaam on aastaga kaotanud 90 protsenti reisijatest ehk kui möödunud sügisel läbis lennujaama nädalas 70 tuhat reisijat siis nüüd vaid 7000.”



Kaitseväelist väljaõpet alustas üle 1,100 ajateenija
(Postimees)
“Nad alustasid kaheksakuulise väljaõppega, mida läbides arvatakse nad reservüksuste reakoosseisu.”



Moscow prosecutors order universities to report virtually any anti-Kremlin activity by students or faculty
(Meduza)
“Prosecutors want to know about any planned events that might “cultivate public perceptions that Russia’s authorities must be changed” or “facilitate conditions for destabilizing the country, for example, by using existing socio-economic problems.” The District Attorney’s Office is also asking school administrators to report any articles, literature reviews, or scholarly research that either seeks to discredit Russia’s leadership and its foreign and domestic policies or contains “biased assessments of Russia’s socio-economic development.” 










— Thursday 15. October —


Sweden to increase military spending by 40% as tension with Russia grows
(The Guardian)
“We have a situation where the Russian side is willing to use military means to achieve political goals,” the defence minister, Peter Hultqvist, told reporters on Thursday. “Based on that, we have a new geopolitical security situation to deal with.” He said the new proposals would mean an increase in the military budget of 27.5bn Swedish kronor ($3.10bn) by 2025. Increased Russian activity in the Baltic Sea region has pushed Sweden into a hasty programme of rearmament, including buying Patriot missiles from the US. … The navy will get an extra submarine, increasing the number to five, and the corvette fleet will be updated, while the army and air force will get upgraded weapons systems.”







Taavi Rõivas lahkub poliitikast
(Postimees | Elu24)
“Endine peaminister, riigikogu liige Taavi Rõivas lahkub poliitikast ja siirdub ettevõtlusesse. Riigikogu mandaadist loobub Rõivas selle aasta lõpus ning parlamendist lahkumisel ootab teda ka 12 990 euro suurune hüvitis.”
—
—






Estonia ranks second in global Internet freedom index
(ERR)
“Freedom House published its "Freedom on the Net 2020" report for the 10th year in a row, analyzing the rights and freedoms of people in 65 countries in public webspace. Estonia's overall score of 94/100 has remained as high as in the previous two years. Iceland came first with a score of 95/100.”



Washington Should Push For A Stronger E.U. Foreign Policy
(War on the Rocks)
“With China’s rise, Russia’s resurgence, and America’s soft-power image tarnished by its bungled domestic handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States should revive the transatlantic alliance.”



Russia might halt all dialogue with the European Union
(Moscow Times)
“Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dropped a bombshell on Tuesday, warning that Russia might halt all dialogue with the European Union. Mr. Lavrov offered no explanation for what was probably the most severe public statement on the EU of his career. Perhaps he was reacting to extended talks he recently held with EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell — talks that, by all appearances, did not go well. …”



Opinion: No more Mr. Nice Europe
(Politico-Europe)
“To be a global player, EU needs to stop playing referee.”






— Wednesday 14. October —


Sillamäe: Inside A Former Soviet Secret City In Estonia
(Deep Baltic)
“Located on the north coast of Estonia, 30 kilometres from the border with Russia, Sillamäe grew out of an older village. The original settlement – known as Sillamäggi – existed at least as early as the 1500s, and by the 19th century it was a popular resort destination. Holidaymakers in those years included celebrities such as the Russian composer Tchaikovsky, and Ivan Pavlov …”
—
“Sillamäe, as it exists today, was founded in 1947 and like many of the cities involved with the Soviet nuclear industry, local operations were a matter of closely guarded secrecy. The new Sillamäe was a ‘closed city,’ often referred to by codenames and guarded within a military perimeter. No one entered or left without approval, and often it didn’t even appear on maps.”



Tšornobõli tuumakatastroofi jälgi otsitakse Eesti metsaandidest tänapäevalgi
(Maaleht, Paywall)



Norway points to Russia after cyberattack on Norwegian parliament
(BNN)
“This is a very serious incident, affecting our most important democratic institution.”



Finland and Latvia to develop new armoured vehicle prototype
(News Now Finland)
“The development deal to design two prototype versions of a new Patria 6x6 vehicle is estimated to cost €7.3 million, with costs split between the two countries.”



World War II-Era ‘Earthquake Bomb’ Explodes in Polish Waters
(New York Times | CBS News)
“Polish Navy divers tried to remotely neutralize a six-ton “Tallboy” dropped by the British, but the bomb had no intention of going quietly.”
—







— Monday 13. October —


Why Estonia is looking to end its indulgence of the motor car
(Emerging Europe)
“Estonia’s current goal is to reduce its transport sector greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 38 per cent by 2025, compared to levels recorded in 2018.”



Interview: Kristina Kallas, chairman of the Estonia 200 party
(ERR)
“What sets us apart, our focus is that we are the only political party in Estonia that really thinks ahead, that wants us to think beyond the next elections –  five, six and even ten years to the future. We should think about the next generation. Do what today's 20-year-olds really want to do and look at the values they hold dear. We are the only party to address the new generation.”







Should Estonia be concerned about the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh?
Rafik Grigoryan, Estonian World
“On 27 September, the Azerbaijani army, with the support of the Turkish air force and the terrorist fighters deployed to Azerbaijan in advance, launched a large-scale armed offensive against Artsakh in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory. … The EU and NATO member states must either take full responsibility for Turkey’s actions or must deprive Turkey of the membership in NATO.”







— Belarus —


Belarus as a national project
By Harri Tiido, ERR
“The first episode of the Vikerraadio series "Harri Tiido taustajutud" (Harri Tiido's background stories) deals with why Belarus' national movement to get rid of Aleksandr Lukashenko and achieve fair elections is so restrained …”



Lukashenko’s Cynical (or Desperate) Overtures to Belarus’s Opposition
(Carnegie Erurope)
“President Lukashenko’s meeting with imprisoned opposition members could be consequential for Belarus.”








Belarus opposition leader issues president with an ultimatum: Resign or face a general strike
(Emerging Europe)
“If our demands are not met by then, the whole country will be out on the streets, peacefully,” said Mrs Tikhanovskaya, who is in exile in Vilnius, Lithuania. The statement represents a marked change in tone from Mrs. Tikhanovskaya, who has until now called for peaceful protests but not widespread civic disobedience or industrial action.”





On Belarus, Try Comprehensive DSC
(CEPA)
“Limited sanctions are doing more harm than good.”



Belarusian exiles in Lithuania: ‘Vilnius is the political capital of Belarus’
(LRT)
“Many people think that Belarus is a social paradise. Even in Lithuania, we met people who thought that everything was alright in Belarus. We invite them to watch videos on our channel to see what the reality is.”
 


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