“Russia is not planning to absorb anyone and has never done so in the past.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attempting to rewrite
history during a conference call with reporters, 13. May 2021
Lääne esmased õppetunnid Venemaa Ukraina-vastases tegevuses
(Diplomaatia, 21. aprill 2021)
“Miks päriselt Venemaa koondab vägesid Ukrainasse ja selle ümber, teab vaid president Vladimir Putin ja talle lähedal seisev sisering, kuid oleks rumal uskuda, et see jõudemonstratsioon pole seotud signaalidega, mida Moskva Kiievist ja lääneriikide pealinnadest saab.”
https://diplomaatia.ee/laane-esmased-oppetunnid-venemaa-ukraina-vastases-tegevuses/
Where Ukrainians Are Preparing for an All-Out War With Russia
(New York Times, 8. May)
“A dried-up canal running from Ukraine into Russian-occupied Crimea is emerging as one of Europe’s main flash points. … The tensions over the canal spiked in recent months after a drought worsened Crimea’s water crisis, the risk of escalation rising along with the temperature of Mr. Putin’s showdown with the West.”
—
“Blocking the canal, a senior official in the de facto Russian government controlling Crimea said in February, represented “an attempt to destroy us as a people, an attempt at mass murder and genocide.”
—
“Ukrainian officials are unmoved. “No water for Crimea until de-occupation,” said Anton Korynevych, the representative for Crimea of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, spelling out government policy. “Period.”
“The North Crimea Canal: A History of its Construction.” - Euromaid Press, 2014
“Inside Crimea’s water crisis.” - Emerging Europe
“Crimean journalists are under threat.” - Open Democracy
“Crimea’s slow-burn water crisis.” - Open Democracy, Oct. 2020
“Backgrounder: The Water Crisis in Crimea.” - Geopolitical Monitor
“Almost all water pumped out from famous Crimea lake.” - UNIAN, May 1
“Locals say there was no water shortage until Russian migrants started moving into the area after 2014.” - Daily Sabah, Feb. 2021
“The Russian-occupied peninsula is thirsty and reservoirs are running low.” - Bloomberg, March 2021
Putin says Ukraine is becoming an ‘anti-Russia' - pledges response
(Reuters)
“Putin, in remarks to a meeting of Russia's security council, called what was happening in Ukraine a 'cleansing' of the political space and accused the Ukrainian authorities of targeting people who favoured better ties with Russia and supported a peaceful settlement in eastern Ukraine where Ukrainian forces have been fighting Russian-backed separatists since 2014.”
—
"Judging by everything, and this is very sad, Ukraine is slowly but surely turning into some kind of polar opposite of Russia, some kind of anti-Russia, and into a platform from whose territory it seems we will constantly receive news requiring our special attention from a security point of view," said Putin. Referring to what he described as a selective and politically-motivated crackdown in Ukraine on certain individuals doing business with Russia, Putin said Moscow would not stand idly by.”
—
“Putin was speaking a day after a Ukrainian court placed Viktor Medvedchuk, a prominent pro-Russian politician who says Putin is godfather to his daughter, under house arrest.”
Moscow to Drill for Fresh Water Under Azov Sea, Not to Help Crimea But to Back Its Claims
By Paul Goble, Jamestown Org.
“Moscow has announced it will begin drilling for fresh water under the Sea of Azov this summer to address growing water shortages in occupied Crimea. … Rather, the initiative seeks to further the Kremlin’s geopolitical claims on both the Sea of Azov and Crimea itself as well as help gain international sympathy for its demands that Ukraine restore the water flows that had gone to the peninsula before 2014. And in the most extreme case, the offshore drilling project might even indirectly lay the groundwork for a Russian military move into southeastern Ukraine to gain control of that water supply.”
_______________
COVID cases in the Baltics
- 279 in Estonia ⬇ (383 last week)
- 666 in Latvia ⬇ (1,036 last week)
- 1,125 in Lithuania ⬇ (1,244 last week)
(BNN)
“Koroonaviiruse andmestik.” - Eesti Terviseamet
“FAQs: Coronavirus vaccinations in Estonia.” - ERR
Estonians vaccinated abroad cannot generate Estonian coronavirus passports
(ERR)
“… even if an Estonian abroad is vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency the information cannot be transferred to the Estonian digital registry. This means Estonians living abroad will not be able to generate a digital QR code coronavirus certificate in the Patient Portal.”
—
"The procedure for using an immune certificate is still being developed and this concern is known. The state decision does not intend to create restrictions to exclude people without an immune certificate, it could not be done.” - Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise
“Kooli naastes peavad vanemad kui 12-aastased endiselt maski kandma.” - Postimees
“Estonia begins to ease the coronavirus restrictions.” - Estonian World
“Estonian vaccination registration system on edge as 14,000 register in one day.” - BNN
“Mart Susi: vaktsiinipass ja inimõigused.” - Arvamus, Postimees
“Estonia to reopen theatres, cinemas and education institutions.” - BNN
“Sweden could have prevented nearly 40 per cent of the coronavirus deaths in its first wave had it imposed a timely lockdown.” - The Times, UK
“Three Out of Five Russians Say They Won’t Get Vaccinated.” - Paul Goble
— Friday 14. May —
Suri helilooja Ester Mägi (1922-2021)
(ERR)
“Ester Mägi seisab Eesti muusikas Tubina, Tambergi ja Tormise kõrval.”
https://kultuur.err.ee/1608212824/suri-helilooja-ester-magi
Ja
Eesti juurtega näitlejanna sõidab kosmosesse mängufilmi tegema
(Õhtuleht, paywall)
“Venemaa teatas, et asub rahvusvahelises kosmosejaamas tegema maailma esimest kosmoses vändatavat mängufilmi. Selle staariks on valitud Eesti juurtega nimekas näitlejanna Julia Peresild.”
https://elu.ohtuleht.ee/1033997/eesti-juurtega-naitlejanna-soidab-kosmosesse-mangufilmi-tegema
Russia clears actress, filmmaker for flight to International Space Station
(CBS News)
Note: Yulia Peresild's Estonian surname comes from her Estonian great grandparents, who were deported to Russia. She was born in Pskov in 1984. - Wiki
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/souyz-flight-yulia-peresild-russia-international-space-station/
Kihnu: Europe's last surviving matriarchy
(BBC)
“In a place where men have historically been absent, the role of women on this Estonian isle has expanded beyond traditional gender roles and into every aspect of life …”
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20210513-kihnu-europes-last-surviving-matriarchy
'You never know': Baltics rush to end reliance on Russian power grid
(Reuters)
“A 1.6 billion euro ($1.94 billion) project financed by the European Union aims to disconnect the Baltic states from Russia and Belarus in 2025 and connect them to the decentralised power system of continental Europe. … As the Baltic states decouple from Russia's power grid, the territory of Kaliningrad - home to the Russian Baltic Fleet and a deployment site for its nuclear-capable Iskander missiles - will be cut off from Russia.”
World War II taught Estonia the importance of having allies
(The Baltic Times, 9. May)
“In his address marking the anniversary of the end of World War II, Estonian Minister of Defense Kalle Laanet noted that although the act of capitulation signed by Germany 76 years ago brought joy and relief to war-weary Europeans and Americans, freedom remained only a dream for those nations left in the grasp of their so-called Soviet liberators.”
https://www.baltictimes.com/defmin__world_war_ii_taught_estonia_the_importance_of_having_allies/#
“Video: Joint Forcible Entry Estonia.” - Defense Flash News
“Paratroopers conduct Trans-Atlantic Jump into Estonia.” - Defense News
Finland proposes lifting protected status of sunken M/S Estonia for investigation
(Yle)
“The justice ministry said the law change was only temporary and, if approved, would be in force from 1 July 2021 until the end of 2024.”
Estonian real estate market starting to calm down
(ERR)
“Price levels on the Estonian real estate market are stabilizing and the fears of potential buyers that there will be nothing left to buy soon are starting to ease …”
https://news.err.ee/1608212803/estonian-real-estate-market-starting-to-calm-down
— Thursday 13. May —
RMK sai voli pärand lagunema jätta
Ülle Harju, Postimees
“Valitsus otsustas riigieelarve strateegiast (RES 2022–2025) välja visata keskkonnaministeeriumi ettepaneku eraldada 6,9 miljonit eurot kultuuripärandi hooldamiseks. Samas vähendas valitsus RMKst võetavaid dividende: 7,84 miljoni euro võrra tuleval aastal ja 16,84 miljoni võrra edaspidi aastas, aga ei nõua selle arvelt raiemahu vähendamist ega RMK halduses olevate kultuurimälestiste hooldamist.”
—
“Selliselt lõppes kultuuri- ja keskkonnaministeeriumi vägikaikavedu selle üle, kumb peaks hoolduskoorma enda peale võtma. Viimane ähvardas vaidluse käigus koguni mälestised oma haldusalast välja kruntida ja kultuuriministeeriumile üle anda. Kuna riik ei saa iseennast (üks riigiasutus teist) trahvida, siis pidi probleemi lahendama valitsus.”
—
(“Rahakirstumäe kõrval asuva ohvrikivi ümbert on RMK metsa maha võtnud.”)
https://www.postimees.ee/7246787/rmk-sai-voli-parand-lagunema-jatta
Eesti Energia tahab hiigeltuulepargi rajamiseks riigilt garantiid
(ERR)
“Eesti Energia juht Hando Sutteri sõnul takistab riigi tegevusetus Liivi lahe meretuulepargi projektiga edasi liikumist. Eesti Energia tahab oma hiigelinvesteeringule riigi garantiid, et kui elektri hind peaks langema teatud piirist allapoole, maksaks riik vahe kinni. Majandusministeerium ei näe selleks põhjust.”
https://www.err.ee/1608211534/eesti-energia-tahab-hiigeltuulepargi-rajamiseks-riigilt-garantiid
Nordic-Baltic Perspectives on European Sovereignty and Strategic Autonomy
(ICDS Policy Paper)
“This paper explores ongoing debates about ways to strengthen Europe’s autonomy from the perspective of the six Nordic-Baltic EU member states.”
—
“Differing views on the role of the EU as a defence actor are apparent in the Nordic- Baltic region. As members of NATO, and due to their proximity to and history with Russia, the Baltic states broadly share an emphasis on military deterrence and collective security. They stress that the commitment of the US for European security is indispensable in the foreseeable future.”
https://icds.ee/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/A-Northern-Agenda-for-an-Open-and-Secure-Europe-PDF.pdf
U.S. Foreign Policy: Keep One Eye on Xi and the Other on Putin
(The Bulwark)
“The view of the Russian peril is clear from Kiev. The Russian Army recently massed forces on Ukraine’s border and in occupied Crimea. But Ukraine’s fate is also important to the United States, because the Biden administration’s Russia policy—and how it handles a possible June meeting between Putin and President Biden—will be an early indicator of whether the administration can manage simultaneous challenges from Beijing and Moscow.”
https://thebulwark.com/keep-one-eye-on-xi-and-the-other-on-putin/
Only the U.S. can reinforce Europe’s frontline. Don’t take it for granted
By Edward Lucas, CEPA
“Anyone who doubts the U.S. commitment to European security should watch the blurry green videos of the opening phase of the Swift Response exercise last week in Estonia. 400 U.S. soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division flew eleven hours nonstop from Fort Bragg for a night-time drop.”
—
“Holding an exercise like this would once have seemed fantasy. (The author) still remembers the contortions and secrecy surrounding the first big exercise held in the Baltic states and Poland, Steadfast Jazz in 2013. That was six years after the cyber-attack on Estonia, five years after the war in Georgia, and four years after Russia’s Zapad exercise, which rehearsed the invasion of the Baltic states and the nuking of Warsaw. Yet many Western decision-makers still felt it necessary to tiptoe around the issue of Russian aggression. These people have not paid the price for their complacency and cowardice. But Ukrainians have.”
—
“That Russia poses a real military threat is now, at last, broadly accepted. … Compounding this is the devastating leadership vacuum in Europe. Germany is taking a time-out for elections this year. Next year France does. The EU is in such a dire state that the European Parliament now actually looks impressive.”
https://cepa.org/direct-delivery/
— Wednesday 12. May —
Kohtla-Järvel tähistati 9. maid rahvarohkelt, kuid vaikselt
(Põhjarannik)
“Kohtla-Järve veteranide liidri Valeri Tumko sõnul möödus pidupäev vaikselt ning enamik kohaletulnuid kandis maski. Ka Narva politseijaoskonna juhi Indrek Püvi sõnul kulges 9. mai Ida-Virumaal rahulikult ning vahejuhtumeid mälestusmärkide juures ei registreeritud. Kohtla-Järvel vanalinnas paikneva monumendi juures oli korraga keskmiselt 30 inimest. Narvas ja selle ümbruses oli mitu koosviibimist, neist suuremates osales 60-80 inimest. Kohtla-Järve ühe eramaja hoovis rippus natsisümboolikaga lipp, kuid politsei saabudes oli see juba eemaldatud.”
https://pohjarannik.postimees.ee/7244700/kohtla-jarvel-tahistati-9-maid-rahvarohkelt-kuid-vaikselt
Eestlased lahkuvad kodumaalt
(Eesti Päevaleht)
“Mullu lahkus Eestist 6,920 Eesti kodanikku, aga tagasi tuli ainult 5,900.”
“As of 1 January 2021, 1,330,068 people lived in Estonia.” - Estonian World
Kas Eesti peaks suurendama võlakohustusi?
Madis Toomsalu, Edasi Org.
“Riigi korralik finantsdistsipliin on ülioluline, aga selle distsipliini kriteerium ei pea olema võlavaba majandamine keskkonnas, kus Eesti saaks pikaajalisi laenusid ilma intressikuluta ning võrdluses iseenda ja teistega on asjad hästi. Võlavabadus ei pea olema peamiseks kriteeriumiks keskkonnas, kus inflatsiooniootused on kerkima hakanud. Inflatsioon muudab tuleviku investeeringud ja laenud oluliselt kallimaks, vastukaaluks tänastele soodsa hinnaga pikaajalistele laenudele. Esmaseks kriteeriumiks peaks olema ideede olemasolu ja nende rahastamisvajadus.”
https://edasi.org/83154/madis-toomsalu-kas-eesti-peaks-suurendama-volakohustusi/
“Eesti majanduskasvu suhtes ei maksa olla liialt pessimistlik.” - Lääne Elu
“Eesti: suurima protsentuaalse võlakoormuse kasvuga riik Euroopa Liidus.” - Poliitika Guru
Estonia’s e-residency programme makes global push for new sign-up locations
(Emerging Europe)
“The Estonian government’s hugely successful e-residency programme, the world’s first digital residency initiative, has announced the launch of four new international pick-up points across three continents to accommodate for the increase in entrepreneurs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The new locations – São Paulo, Bangkok, Singapore and Johannesburg – meet rising demand from local entrepreneurs seeking to scale their businesses internationally and expand into the European market.”
https://emerging-europe.com/news/estonias-e-residency-programme-makes-global-push/
Covid-19: Identifying the Needs of Estonia’s Russian-speaking Minority
(FPRI)
“(The article examines) COVID-19’s inequitable impacts using Ida-Viru County and other geographic areas with large ethnic Russian and/or Russian-speaking populations. The authors’ note that the Estonian health system does not currently collect or publicly share health data on ethnic minorities, though there is growing interest and an international call for the disaggregation of health data.”
Autonomy, Cacophony, Or Coherence? The Future Of European Defense
(War on the Rocks)
“Even as the Kremlin once again massed troops on Ukraine’s borders last month, Europe has still not addressed the glaring capability gaps exposed by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its proxy war of aggression in Donbas. Having been rudely awakened from their dreams of the end of history by the return of geopolitics, Europeans are concerned but seem unable to devise a common, realistic response, instead resorting to debates over what to do, including calls for “strategic autonomy.”
—
“In many ways, the Trump presidency was a near-death experience for NATO and the transatlantic link, and to judge from a recent survey it seems to have resulted in a widespread distrust of America as a security partner among European publics. Thus, given that an isolationist may return to the White House in four or eight years, appealing to a need for greater national or European self-reliance may be necessary.”
https://warontherocks.com/2021/05/autonomy-cacophony-or-coherence-the-future-of-european-defense/
“The UK Is Leading West's 'Propaganda War' Against Russia.” - Worldcrunch
Latgalian: How the Language of Eastern Latvia is Being Revitalised
(Deep Baltic)
“(The Latgalian) language is spoken in the eastern part of Latvia, the region of Latgola by Latgalians (the name for the Latvians of Latgola). At present, it is the mother tongue of approximately 164,000 people, which is about 9% of the population of Latvia. The Latgalian language plays the main role in Latgalian identity, and it is strongly connected with Latgalians’ culture. According to the UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, Latgalian is assessed as vulnerable. Due to tremendous effort from the community, the revitalisation of the language is now taking place.”
https://deepbaltic.com/2021/05/10/latgalian-how-the-language-of-eastern-latvia-is-being-revitalised/
A small town in Sweden fights to preserve Elfdalian, a dying language
(PRI)
“An organization called Ulum Dalska, based in a small Swedish town called Älvdalen, is on a mission. For decades, members have been working hard to help save a language called Elfdalian, a remnant of Old Norse. … Elfdalian sounds nothing like the country’s national language, Swedish, which destabilized the language about 100 years ago. At that point, Elfdalian became stigmatized.”
— Россия —
In purging Russia of Navalny, the Kremlin is humming a Soviet tune
(Politico-Europe)
“The trajectory of Vladimir Putin’s leadership has long been clear. His latest term especially has been defined by the squeezing of civil society with the help of ever more restrictive laws, rubberstamped by a puppet parliament. But in recent weeks the drumbeat of repression has taken on an accelerated pace that has shocked even veteran Kremlinologists.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/in-purging-russia-of-navalny-the-kremlin-is-humming-a-soviet-tune/
Putin’s Russia Reverts Still Deeper Into Soviet Legacy
(Jamestown Org.)
“Under President Vladimir Putin’s rule, the annual May 9 grand military parade on Red Square in Moscow has transformed into the main ideological prop to legitimize his regime. Changes have already been made to the Russian constitution and additional legislation is being introduced making it a felony to publicly question or rewrite the official version of the events of World War II … Until the mid-1980s, Russian rulers tended to all be World War II veterans, and the narrative of Soviet war-time heroism was an important element of the Communist country’s agitprop.”
—
“As Putin’s Russia became increasingly isolated and its confrontation with the West deepened, the May 9 anniversary transformed into a mostly internal PR event, promoting Russian military strength and historical glory but at the same time demonstrating defiance, deterrence and readiness to take on the West. …”
https://jamestown.org/program/putins-russia-reverts-still-deeper-into-soviet-legacy/
Opinion: Why Fears of a Russia-Belarus Merger Never (Appears) to Come True
(Moscow Times)
“Relations between Belarus and Russia continue to baffle observers with their unpredictability. … For years now, every time Lukashenko goes to Russia, there is speculation that he is preparing to relinquish Belarusian sovereignty. The fact that this has never happened does not stop this speculation from increasing in intensity every time. The same thing happened ahead of the summit between the two leaders in Moscow last month, yet once again, nothing of the sort was announced.”
Moscow's war on history
(Washington Examiner)
“The promoted historical narrative of the "Great Patriotic War" has been employed as a source of national unity and loyalty to the state. The war is a key element in Moscow’s self-glorifying propaganda. This "cult of victory" possesses a rigid dogma that both the state and Russia’s Orthodox Church staunchly defend. Putin uses this creed to legitimize his own rule, to justify his elimination of political opposition, to pursue his neo-imperial project toward vulnerable neighbors, and to rationalize his anti-Western policies.”
‘If we start playing games like this, historians won’t write anything.’
(Meduza)
“Russian historian Mikhail Meltyukhov on the proposed ban on ‘equating’ the goals of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.”
—
“Asked if the impending ban on “equating the goals, decisions, and actions” of the USSR and Nazi Germany will limit academic discourse in Russia, military historian Mikhail Meltyukhov tells Meduza that it’s not as straightforward as that. The way he sees it, the terms used in the draft law are “flexible” and will inevitably be subject to varying interpretations. “What does ‘equate’ mean? And what do we do with methodologies like comparative analysis? We’ll have to see the enforcement in practice.”
Has a 1959 Soviet Mystery Been Solved?
(The New Yorker)
[On 28. January, 1959 a group of nine set off on an ambitious sixteen-day cross-country ski trip in the Urals, the mountain range that divides western Russia from Siberia.]
—
“The plan was to end up at the tiny village of Vizhai around February 12th, and telegram the U.P.I. sports club that they had arrived safely. The expected telegram never came. … On February 20th, a search was launched. … On February 25th, the students found ski tracks, and the next day they discovered the skiers’ tent—above the tree line on a remote mountain that Soviet officials referred to as Height 1079 and that the Mansi called Kholat Syakhl, or Dead Mountain. There was no one inside.”
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/17/has-an-old-soviet-mystery-at-last-been-solved
Moscow’s Ignored Radioactive Crisis
(Calvert Journal)
“22 April was International Earth Day. For hundreds of workers building a new highway in southeast Moscow, however, it was just a normal Thursday — despite the ecological disaster brewing underneath their feet. The highway construction site is perched on top of a radioactive chemical landfill site. Digging over the earth has caused radiation levels to spike, vastly exceeding accepted safety norms — but none of this has stood in the way of the local authorities who approved the development.”
https://www.calvertjournal.com/features/show/12729/moscow-radioactive-crisis-russia-z
Russia Showcased Its Top 5 Weapons During the Victory Day Parade
(National Interest)
“Russia’s annual Victory Day parade commemorating the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany has steadily grown in recent decades to become the country’s most important holiday, according to a majority of Russians. But the parade is also one of the largest annual displays of the Kremlin’s military might, showcasing Russia’s latest and most prolific weapon systems.”
The Ontological Security Origins of the War in Donbas
(Texas National Security Review)
“… this paper uses the concept of ontological security to explain the motivations behind the 2014 invasion. Compared with the available explanations for the invasion, ontological security goes further in accounting for Moscow’s seemingly irrational actions than do previous analyses. Further, it would appear as though the continuation of the conflict is fueled by identity-based routines associated with ontological security.”
—
“… Ontological insecurity, commonly generated by interrupting a routine, can be thought of as akin to an existential crisis in which the sufferer reacts in oftentimes inexplicable or dramatic ways.”
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