(Interesting Engineering)
“In Estonia, there are around 30 Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions deployed in the Estonian public sector that were identified as active as of the beginning of June 2020. The Baltic nation aims to have at least 50 AI use cases by the end of 2020. And that is just the beginning. Estonia's AI strategy is the next stage of digital public services, all part of e-Estonia. What is most interesting about it, is that its vision sounds as if it was taken from a science fiction script. Yet, it is all almost around the corner. Estonia is working toward realizing its AI Strategy vision, called KrattAI.”
https://interestingengineering.com/krattai-estonias-national-artificial-intelligence-strategy
“Report: Eesti tehisintellekti.” - Kratid.ee
“Krattide projekti koduleht.” - Kratid.ee
“Artificial Intelligence for Estonia.” - Kratid.ee
Finland’s police stopped using AI facial recognition software
(Yle)
“Officers at Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have used the controversial facial recognition app Clearview AI, even though its use was not widely known within the organisation. … Clearview AI allows a user to upload a photo of a person and see their public photos, for example from social media platforms, as well as providing links to the websites where the photos were found.”
—
“In a statement to the Data Protection office, police revealed that the application was first presented to Finnish authorities at an event hosted by the EU's law enforcement agency Europol in 2019 … "The presentation also gave participants the impression that the system does not store searches and would therefore be suitable for this use.”
EU Drafts AI Regulations
(Deutsche Welle)
“The draft regulations impose checks on technology considered "high-risk" and include a ban on most surveillance and live facial scanning, as well as AI systems to filter out school, job or credit scoring. AI applications used in critical infrastructure migration and law enforcement would also be subject to strict safeguards.”
—
“With these landmark rules, the EU is spearheading the development of new global norms to make sure AI can be trusted," EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said.”
https://www.dw.com/en/eu-unveils-ai-rules-seeking-global-standards/a-57282281
“Euroopa Liit tahab tehisintellektile päitsed pähe panna.” - Novaator
“Proposal for a Regulation on a European approach for Artificial Intelligence.” - European Commission
“Distinguishing between Narrow AI, General AI and Super AI.” - Medium
“The EU wants to be the world’s super-regulator in AI.” - The Economist
“Kui tehisintellekt inimesest mööda läheb.” - Tarmo Jüristo, ERR - 2018
“Mis on tehisintellekt ja kuidas seda kasutatakse?” - Euroopa Parlament
“This has just become a big week for AI regulation.” - MIT Tech Review
“EU outlines ambitious AI regulations focused on risky uses.” - AP
“Europe throws down gauntlet on AI with new rulebook.” - Politico
“AI needs more regulation, not less.” - Brookings Institution
“6 key battles ahead for Europe’s AI law.” - Politico-Europe
“The Different Levels of Artificial Intelligence.” - Rehack
COVID cases in the Baltics
- 392 in Estonia
- 683 in Latvia
- 1,278 in Lithuania
(BNN)
“Koroonaviiruse andmestik.” - Eesti Terviseamet
“Estonia sees Finland extend its travel ban affecting many guest workers.” - BNN
— Friday 23. April —
Eesti kutsus välja Vene suursaadiku ja saadab välja ühe Vene diplomaadi
(Postimees)
“Eesti välisministeerium kutsus täna välja Venemaa Föderatsiooni suursaadiku Eestis Aleksander Petrovi, et avaldada tugevat protesti seoses Tšehhi Vabariigilt saadud informatsiooniga, mille kohaselt korraldas Vene sõjaväeluure Vrbetices 2014. aastal toimunud laskemoonalao plahvatuse.”
“Eesti, Läti ja Leedu saadavad välja Venemaa diplomaate.” - ERR
“Vene saatkond: diplomaadi väljasaatmisel on hävitavad tagajärjed.” - Postimees
NATO forces could be bogged down in Suwalki Gap in case of a Russian assault
(Lithuanian Tribune)
“Filing complex customs forms, weak bridges, flaws in railway infrastructure: if NATO had to quickly shift its military into the Baltic States during a conflict, the alliance could face severe difficulties passing the so-called Suwalki Gap …”
—
“During the Cold War, a division was formed so that it could move without outside support for seven days. Things are different now and so, it is crucial to set up supply storage ahead of time. A peculiarity the authors note is that NATO probably couldn’t even make use of stockpiled ammunition in Lithuania because it is prohibited by law, at least during peacetime.”
https://lithuaniatribune.com/nato-forces-could-be-bogged-down-in-suwalki-gap-if-russians-attack/
Russia Claims It Is Ordering Troops to Pull Back From Ukraine’s Border
(The Daily Beast)
“On a visit to annexed Crimea, the Kremlin’s defense minister declared it was mission accomplished to the tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine’s border. … Shoigu said the plan of military “snap checks” had been achieved, and there’s nothing left for the tens of thousands of troops to do but to head back.”
—
“Shoigu oversaw the operation in a helicopter, and after his stand-down order he said the military had proven its readiness to respond to any “adverse developments” during NATO’s Defender Europe 2021 exercise—a mass U.S. Army-led war game that’s running in Europe until June.”
Russian brinkmanship leaves clear message for Ukraine and allies
(Financial Times)
“Military build-up on neighbour’s border was designed to show Moscow still calls the shots. … They really wanted to make Kyiv sweat and … show Ukrainians exactly what they can do to them eventually — that Ukraine will ultimately be largely on its own and that this is a reality his administration needs to face.”
https://www.ft.com/content/65e2bdb6-6c1d-4033-b677-a07bb34716ae
“Russia says it has begun pulling out troops from Crimea after drills.” - Reuters
“Kaitseminister: Venemaa lõpetab reedel õppused Ukraina piiri lähedal.” - ERR
“Russia Orders Partial Pullback From Ukraine Border Region.” - New York Times
Alexei Navalny Has a Lesson for the World
By Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic
“The Russian opposition leader is showing what courage means.”
“Navalnõi teatas näljastreigi lõpetamisest.” - ERR
“Navalny Says He’s Ending Three-Week Hunger Strike.” - The Daily Beast
“What next for Russia’s beleaguered opposition?” - The Guardian
“Navalnõi abina esinenud kelmid tüssasid Balti parlamendisaadikuid.” - Postimees
Bideni esimene välisvisiit hõlmab G7, EL-i ja NATO tippkohtumist
(ERR)
“USA president Joe Biden teeb esimese välisvisiidi juunis, osaledes esmalt Suurbritannias G7 tippkohtumisel, millele järgnevad kohtumine Euroopa Liidu liidritega ja NATO tippkohtumine Brüsselis, teatas reedel Valge Maja.”
https://www.err.ee/1608189019/bideni-esimene-valisvisiit-holmab-g7-el-i-ja-nato-tippkohtumist
“President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will travel to the United Kingdom and Belgium in June 2021.” - The White House Briefing Room
— Thursday 22. April —
Venemaa naabrid ei kärbi kaitsekulutusi, vaid pigem tõstavad - Martin Hurt
(Postimees)
“Kaitsekulutuste kärpimine annaks meie liitlastele negatiivse signaali … Euroopa tervikuna ei ole Washingtonis kaitsekulude tõttu heas kirjas.”
“Martin Hurt: Russia’s neighbors hiking defense spending.” - Postimees
“Jüri Luik: Putin kardab korrata Gorbatšovi teed.” - ERR
Saksamaa endine sisejulgeolekujuht Hans-Georg Maaßen: Venemaa loeb Euroopat oma tagahooviks
(Postimees)
“Venemaa ei hooli Euroopa riikide suveräänsusest ja inimeludest … Probleem Venemaaga tema hinnangul süveneb, sest osa poliitikuid tahab vastasseisu vältida.”
EKRE blokeerib Euroopast taasteraha saamist: ‘See on vaimuhaige projekt’
(Postimees)
“Rahandusminister Keit Pentus-Rosimannus teatas eile, et EKRE on parlamendis blokeerinud Eestisse umbes miljard eurot toova Euroopa taasterahastu heakskiitmise, esitades sinna ligikaudu 700 tühja muudatusettepanekut. Urmas Reitelmanni (EKRE) hinnangul on taasterahastu vaimuhaige projekt.”
U.S. State Department adds Estonia to the “Do Not Travel” list
(Estonian World)
“… the CDC has issued a Level 4 travel health notice for Estonia due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, indicating a “very high level of COVID-19 in the country”.
—
But: “Estonian citizens, wherever in the world may they live, can enter Estonia. If they haven’t been vaccinated or haven’t suffered from the virus in the last six months, and they’re coming from a country that has a high infection rate, they will need to self-isolate for ten days.”
https://estonianworld.com/life/us-state-department-adds-estonia-to-the-do-not-travel-list/
“Estonians most cautious among Balts when it comes to international travel.” - Baltic Times
Estonia needs border agreement more than Russia
(Baltic Times)
“All the crises show that we need a border agreement with the kind of neighbor we have," Kallas said. "We do not need confusion [regarding the border]. We need a border agreement more than Russia. … Kallas highlighted as positive the fact that, for the first time in a while, the foreign minister has been in contact with the Russian foreign minister and has looked at ways to proceed with the border agreement issue.”
https://www.baltictimes.com/pm__estonia_needs_border_agreement_more_than_russia/
“F-15E Strike Eagles over Estonia.” - ERR
EU’s Next Big Problem: Switzerland
(Foreign Policy)
“In a 1992 referendum, the Swiss rejected EU membership. They negotiated a trade agreement with Brussels soon afterward and built on this ever since, with gusto: They currently have at least 120 bilateral agreements that function well. These secure market access for Swiss pharmaceuticals, metals, and chemicals in exchange for Swiss adherence to internal market rules and a modest financial contribution to poor EU regions. Switzerland is a member of the Schengen Area in which there are no border controls. It participates in Erasmus student exchanges, in EU scientific research, and in police cooperation. Access to the EU health system and electricity market are high on the Swiss wish list.”
—
“In Brussels, however, the Swiss are known as difficult customers. While Norway, another nonmember with extensive market access, never questions its financial contribution to the EU, Switzerland regularly withholds it to get its way on some issue. Swiss referendums are also a source of friction. …”
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/22/the-eus-next-big-problem-is-switzerland/
— Wednesday 21. April —
Mihkelson näeb Putini kõnes pettemanöövrit
(ERR)
“Me nägime tüüpilist pettemanöövrit või maskirovkat Kremli liidri esituses, mille eesmärk oli ühtaegu Lääne uinutamine ja samas ka hirmutamine. Kreml püüab ilmselgelt ära hoida Lääne proaktiivsemat käitumist ja justkui jäetakse mulje, et Venemaa on valmis taanduma ja sõber olema, kui Lääs hoidub uutest sanktsioonidest või ka Ukraina jõulisest toetamisest.”
https://www.err.ee/1608186037/mihkelson-naeb-putini-kones-pettemanoovrit
Putini võimu ajal Venemaa käitumine ei muutu
(ERR)
“Venemaa julgeolekuteemade ekspert Mark Galeotti leiab, et Venemaa praeguse tegevuse taga on president Vladimir Putini soov pingete suurendamisega oma rahvusvahelist kaalu tõsta ning kuni Putin võimul on, siin põhimõttelist muutust ei tule. Samuti tõdeb Galeotti, et NATO-l ei ole seni mehhanismi, kuidas toetada riike, mis satuvad Venemaa sellise rünnaku alla, mis ei hõlma otseselt sõjategevust.”
https://www.err.ee/1608184078/galeotti-hinnangul-putini-voimu-ajal-venemaa-kaitumine-ei-muutu
“Estonia willing to consider granting Navalny asylum.” - ERR
30 Years after Regaining Independence, Baltic Countries Test Turning Off Electric Power from Russia and Belarus
By Paul Goble, Window on Eurasia
“This week, in anticipation of ending that power relationship completely by 2025, the Baltic countries flipped a switch cutting them off from the Belarusian-Russian power grid. That was possible because they are now increasingly tied into the power grid of the European Union. Not surprisingly, as Mariya Yepifanova of Moscow’s Novaya gazeta writes, “Russia sees in this an exclusively political explanation and is calculating the losses which it supposes the residents of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the final consumers of electric power, will suffer as a result.”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/04/thirty-years-after-regaining.html
Belarus: Bizarre “coup plot” has all the hallmarks of a classic Kremlin drama
By Brian Whitmore, Atlantic Council
“(Alyaksandr) Lukashenka’s claim that the plot was approved “by the top political leadership” in the United States came just days after Russia’s Federal Security Service had arrested two Belarusians, including one with US citizenship, and accused them of plotting to carry out a coup during the May 9 Victory Day parade in Minsk. … The “exposure” of the alleged plot comes at a time when Russia is visibly expanding its political, economic, and military footprint in Belarus with the clear aim of achieving Moscow’s long-standing objective of turning its smaller but strategically vital Western neighbor into a pliant and obedient vassal. …”
“The battle for Belarus: Russified regime faces Westernizing society.” - Atlantic Council
“In Moscow Talks, Putin And Lukashenka Praise Progress On Union State.” - RFERL
Czech Republic: A Seven-Year Fuse Blows Up Czech-Russian Relations
By Mark Galeotti, The Moscow Times
“The Czech government’s announcement that Russia was behind an explosion in an arms depot in 2014 and consequent expulsion of 18 diplomats has not only brough new acrimony to Prague’s relationship with Moscow, it also speaks volumes about the Kremlin’s wider thinking.”
—
“The blast and subsequent fire in Depot 16 in Vrbětice destroyed 50 tonnes of munitions and killed two workers. Originally assumed to have been the result of an accident, at a dramatic weekend press conference, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced that as of Friday, he had received “clear evidence” linking officers from the GRU, Russian military intelligence, was behind it.”
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/04/19/a-seven-year-fuse-blows-up-czech-russian-relations-a73645
Czech Republic accuses the GRU’s Elite Unit 29155 for 2014 explosion
(France24)
“The Czech Republic accused the GRU – Russia’s military intelligence agency – of being behind a deadly explosion at an ammunition depot in 2014. They pointed the finger at a specific section of the organisation – Unit 29155 – which has attracted an increasing amount of notoriety over recent years.”
“Accusations of spying and sabotage plunge Russia-Czech relations into the deep freeze.” - MSN/Washington Post
“Czechs Blame 2014 Blasts at Ammunition Depots on Elite Russian Spy Unit 29155.” - New York Times, Oct. 2019
EL ja NATO teevad Tšehhile toetusavalduse
(ERR)
“Euroopa Liidu ja NATO riigid valmistavad ette ühiseid toetusavaldusi Tšehhile, mis teatas sel nädalal, et seal 2014. aastal toimunud sõjamoona lao plahvatuse korraldasid Vene sõjaväeluure agendid. Vastumeetmetana ei ole välistatud ka Vene diplomaatide väljasaatmine, ütles Eesti välisministeeriumi kõrge esindaja.”
Europe has no excuse for letting Russia surprise it again
(Politico-Europe)
“As troops gather(ed) on the Ukrainian border, Western leaders need to look at what Moscow did in the past. … In fact, many European leaders have yet to learn lessons from Russia’s 2008 war in Georgia and its undeclared war against Ukraine and annexation of Crimea in 2014.”
—
“Surprise is a force multiplier — and it’s essential to the Kremlin’s strategy. Russia’s economy is no bigger than Italy’s, and its nominal military spending is only a quarter of Europe’s combined. While Moscow has invested heavily in the armed forces since 2009, it still needs to keep people guessing about its plans.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-europe-ukraine-vladimir-putin-surprise-again/
New challenge for NATO: Securing a climate-changed world
(Atlantic Council)
“Now NATO should dive deeper into this subject. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has written that it is essential for NATO to more closely monitor its impact on the climate and environment and to make changes to curb climate change, including integrating climate change into the Alliance’s military planning and strategy for training armed forces. He has pointed out that climate change will only make NATO’s job harder; the Alliance’s troops often operate in difficult environments already, like in Afghanistan or Iraq, and they will have to adapt to new realities influenced by climate change in order to remain effective.”
— Ukraine —
Putin’s secret weapon in the war against Ukraine: Russian passports
(Atlantic Council)
“For the past two years, Moscow has been slowly but steadily distributing Russian passports to Ukrainians living in the regions of eastern Ukraine currently under Kremlin control. During this period, over 650,000 Russian passports have reportedly been issued among an unconfirmed overall population that is believed to number several million. This effort to transform occupied eastern Ukraine into a “passport protectorate” gives a clear indication of Russia’s long-term objectives in its war with Ukraine. It may also provide the best clue as to what we can expect from the Kremlin’s present bout of saber-rattling.”
“How well could Ukraine defend itself against a Russian attack?” - BNE
“Putin’s Ukraine War: Can the West prevent a new Russian offensive?” - Atlantic Council
Kas Vene tapjaroboteid võib näha juba Ida-Ukrainas?
(Postimees)
“Venemaa sõjaväes valmistatakse ette esimest üksust, mille liikmeteks saavad ka robottankid. … Robotite tootja - Kalašnikovi kontserni - viitab, et nad on suutnud kolme aasta taguseid probleeme lahendada: nüüd peaksid robotid ka võimekamad olema. Tootja on parandanud robotite liikuvust, kontrollmehhanisme ning insenerid on tegelenud ka nende luurevõimekuse ning sensortite täiendamisega. Pole välistatud, et sellised võivad kasutusse ilmuda mõnes hetkel juba küpsevas konfliktis.”
https://majandus24.postimees.ee/7229713/kas-vene-tapjaroboteid-voib-naha-juba-ida-ukrainas
“Russia Is Setting Up First Military Unit With Killer Robot Tanks.” - Futurism
Satellite Images Showed Russia’s Expanding Ukraine Buildup
(Wall Street Journal - paywall)
“Russia moved warplanes to Crimea and bases near Ukraine to an extent greater than has previously been disclosed … Other Russian military units on the Crimean peninsula included airborne troops, motorized rifle and armored units, attack helicopters, smoke generators, reconnaissance drones, jamming equipment and a military hospital, the photos indicate. …”
“Russia Further Ramps Up Military Pressure on Ukraine.” - Foreign Policy
“Moscow moving 15 warships from Caspian Sea to waters off Ukraine.” - Euromaidan
“Russia deploys attack aircraft in occupied Crimea.” - Unian
“Can Solidary Support for Ukraine Serve as a Deterrent Factor for the Kremlin?” - ICDS
“U.S. urges Russia to cease blocking navigation near Crimea.” - Unian
“U.S. warned airlines on flights near Ukraine-Russian border.” - Reuters
“Paper: Russian Hybrid War: From Theory to Practice.” - Academia, 2017
“Kremlin propaganda: NATO is Preparing to Attack.” - Euromaidan Press
Chernobyl’s Forest War Memorials
(RFERL)
“Thirty-five years after Soviet Ukraine's infamous nuclear disaster, a photographer has uncovered the haunting and often carefully maintained World War II monuments that endure in the forests of the Chernobyl exclusion zone.”
https://www.rferl.org/a/chernobyl-forest-war-memorials/31208412.html
— Russia —
Putin regime is “on the road to committing suicide”
By Paul Goble - Euromaidan
“Many analysts want to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to build up forces is a kind of blackmail designed to force Ukraine and the United States to make concessions, says US-based Russian analyst Andrey Piontkovsky. But what Putin wants from Kyiv and Washington are things they won’t give, and so the Kremlin leader is more likely to go to war.”
Russia Plunges Into Era of ‘Dictatorship’ as Putin Looms Over Eastern Europe
By Anna Nemtsova, The Daily Beast
“The day began with a dystopian wave of pre-emptive arrests. Many of his opponents were already under lock and key by the time President Vladimir Putin used an annual state of the nation address to remind people what happens to popular uprisings within striking distance of the Kremlin. With Russian troops massed on the border of Ukraine in numbers not seen since the invasion of Crimea, Putin gloried in the fate of the pro-Western movement in Kyiv, seven years after he annexed a chunk of its territory.”
How the 2008 Russo-Georgian War Forever Changed Russia
(The National Interest)
“The recent developments between Russia and Ukraine are only a reminder that Russia’s foreign policy in the post-Cold War era could be divided roughly into two periods: from the end of the Cold War to the outbreak of the Russia-Georgia War in August 2008, and from then onwards. … To be sure, August 2008 may be seen as a turning point in Russian action, though, conceptually, the roots of this new assertive policy could be gauged before. Russia had already made clear, prior to its military intervention against Georgia, that it was dissatisfied with the prevailing international order.”
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/how-2008-russo-georgian-war-forever-changed-russia-183390
Tens of thousands of Russians attend rallies calling for Navalny’s release
(The Guardian)
“The unsanctioned demonstrations have shown the determination of Navalny’s core supporters, who called for “freedom for political prisoners” in tense standoffs with riot police in helmets and body armour, who had vowed to disperse any gatherings. … The show of strength is important as the Kremlin prepares to deliver a potentially lethal blow to Navalny’s political organisation nationwide by declaring it extremist.”
“Alexey Navalny transferred to a prisoners’ hospital.” - Meduza
“Navalny supporters see their personal information leaked online in ‘enriched’ database.” - Meduza
“Navalny groups threatened with ‘extremist’ label.” - Riddle
The Role of Russian Airborne Troops
By Jörgen Elfving - Jamestown Org.
“The VDV (Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska) has regularly participated in major Soviet exercises during the postwar period as well as in the invasions of Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968) and, not least, the war in Afghanistan (1979–1989). Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the now-Russian VDV took part in the two Chechen wars (1994–1996, 1999–2000), the war with Georgia (2008), the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula (2014) and the ensuing conflict in Ukrainian Donbas (particularly, 2014–2015). The airborne forces’ experience in Afghanistan continues to play a key role, as do the lessons learned in Georgia in 2008, in influencing some of the VDV’s organizational changes implemented over the past several years…”
-
“An airdrop exercise was carried out on January 11–15, 2018, in the Pskov area, (near the south-east Estonian border) involving 2,000 soldiers from the GAAD 76 and more than 20 aircraft and helicopters. … Interestingly, both this January 2018 exercise and the later exercise in July featured almost the same scenario: airdrops and the ensuing seizure of airfields, bringing in reinforcements, and the elimination of an enemy command post.”
https://jamestown.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Jorgen-Russian-Airborne-Troops.pdf?x92038&x11755
It is Time for the U.S. to Stop Looking for a Reset with Russia
By Lieutenant Colonel Alexander S. Vindman (Retired) - Lawfare
“On April 15, President Biden issued an executive order authorizing sweeping new sanctions against Russia in response to Russian interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election and the SolarWinds hack. … As Biden himself noted, his administration’s push could have gone further—and it probably should have.”
—
“But whatever the shortcomings of the Biden administration’s actions, its approach so far suggests that Biden is not looking for a comprehensive reset in relations with Russia. This is a clear, and welcome, departure from Biden’s predecessors. President Bush found Putin to be “straightforward and trustworthy” after looking “the man in the eye” and getting “a sense of his soul”—sentiments which have proven unfounded. President Obama pursued a “reset” that ended in failure. And President Trump spearheaded a listless diplomatic agenda that primarily resulted in American disengagement from international institutions and acquiescence to Russian interests. In contrast, Biden—who, like Bush, reportedly once stared into Putin’s eyes but, unlike Bush, told him he had no soul—appears to be taking a different approach. …”
https://www.lawfareblog.com/it-time-stop-looking-reset-russia
‘Russia is ‘De-Europeanizing” - Russians Lack a Sense of Their Own Future
By Paul Goble
“… a majority of Russians no longer consider their country to be a European one, Levada Center polls show.”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/04/russia-is-de-europeanizing-because.html
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