COVID infection rates continue
going down in Baltic States
- 54 in Estonia ⬇(226 on 28. May)
- 178 in Latvia ⬇(477 on 28. May)
- 155 in Lithuania ⬇(664 on 28. May)
(BNN)
“Koroonaviiruse andmestik.” - Eesti Terviseamet
“Estonia's coronavirus infection rate - R - has fallen to 0.75.” - ERR
“Estonia allows up to 600 people events indoors.” - BNN
“Sweden sees 'dark clouds' with outbreaks of COVID delta variant.” - Reuters
“Moscow to open more COVID-19 hospitals amid ‘unexpected’ spike in cases.” - Meduza
“Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Poland among first states to use EU Covid-19 certificates.” - Emerging Europe
“UK reports 8,125 daily cases as infection rate rises.” - The Guardian
“Travel safely with the EU Digital Covid Certificate.” - European Parliament
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Cover Image via DIGAR:
http://www.digar.ee/id/nlib-digar:69433
— Friday 11. June —
Kaitsealust metsa hävitati keskkonnaministeeriumi loal
Ülle Harju, Postimees
“Keskkonnaministeerium eitas asekantsler Marku Lambi eestvõttel nii kaua Natura 2000 alade kohta käivate eurodirektiivide rikkumist, kuni Euroopa Komisjon algatas tuhandete hektarite kaitsealuse metsa hävitamise tõttu Eesti riigi suhtes menetluse.”
https://www.postimees.ee/7269474/kaitsealust-metsa-havitati-keskkonnaministeeriumi-loal
“Euroopa Komisjon nõuab Eestilt kaitsealuse metsa hävitamise lõpetamist.” - Postimees
“EU is preparing a new deforestation package.” - Carnegie Europe
“Valitsus plaanib kiirkorras seadustada metsaandmete salastamise.” - Postimees
“The EUs agenda for global forests.” - Euractiv
“Palgi hind läheb endiselt üles, küttepuit rekordiliselt odav.” - Õhtuleht
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“In the period 2001–2019, 15,000 hectares of forests belonging to the Natura 2000 network have been destroyed in Estonia. 80% of the protected forest has disappeared in the last five years. These figures were cited by an international and independent consortium of investigative journalists half a year ago in their analysis.” - Translated from Postimees article
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Soome siseministeerium koostab töörände ettepanekut
(Postimees)
“Soome peaminister Sanna Marin ütles reedel vastuseks Eesti peaministri Kaja Kallase kirjale, et siseministeerium koostab järgmiseks nädalaks valitsusele ettepaneku töörände avamisest laevadega ja maapiiri kaudu.”
https://www.postimees.ee/7269827/marin-soome-siseministeerium-koostab-toorande-ettepanekut
“On arutu, et naaberriigi peaminister peab Soomet paluma.” - Delfi
“Finland to look at opening Tallinn ferries for work-based travel.” - Yle
“Marin vastuseks Kallasele: Soome valmistab ette piiride avamist.” - ERR
“Estonian PM calls Finnish travel restrictions ‘unreasonable’.” - Yle
“Kristi Raik: koroonaajal nägime, et riigid tegutsevad väga egoistlikult.” - ERR
“Estonian Representatives Urge Finland to Open Borders.” - Schengen Visa News
Stalin In Tallinn: Life In Soviet Estonia
(RFERL)
“Photos at the National Archives of Estonia reveal daily life during the communist occupation of the Baltic state.”
https://www.rferl.org/a/stalin-estonia-photographs-communism-archives/31300813.html
What’s the history of Finland’s national anthem ‘Maamme’, and why does it sound like Estonia’s anthem?
(ClassicFM)
“The melodies used for Finland and Estonia’s anthems come from the same piece of music. Pacius’ triumphant melody is also used for Estonia’s national anthem but in a different key signature and with different lyrics, written by Johann Voldemar Jannsen.
It is considered to be the anthem for Livonians too, the Balto-Finnic population indigenous to northern Latvia and southwestern Estonia. …”
eID card will be a compulsory document for Latvian citizens living abroad
(BNN)
“… from 2025 onward. This is provided by amendments to the Personal Identification Documents Law passed by the Saeima in the final reading Thursday.”
https://bnn-news.com/eid-card-now-a-compulsory-document-for-latvian-citizens-living-abroad-225717
Analyst says Lithuania takes Baltic foreign policy lead
(ERR)
"The emergence of Lithuanian foreign policy has not gone unnoticed in Estonia. Both the previous government of Jüri Ratas (Center) and the current coalition under Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) has been criticized for their sluggish reaction to events in Belarus and indecisiveness in China relations.”
https://news.err.ee/1608237534/analyst-lithuania-takes-baltic-foreign-policy-lead
Lithuania may need to build tent camp to accommodate increase of migrants
(Delfi)
“Almost 300 illegal migrants, mainly Iraqis, have tried to enter Lithuania from Belarus this year, according to the data from the State Border Guard Service (SBGS). The figure is 3.5 times higher than over the whole year of 2020.”
— Thursday 10. June —
Finland In Talks With Estonia To Merge Air Traffic Control Service
(Simple Flying | ERR)
“With both countries sharing common airspace, creating a unified air traffic control system would help reduce costs and improve air safety. The new model will involve a centralized system accessible in both countries. This virtual air traffic control system will essentially be under single management but operated in two separate cities by Finnish air traffic controllers in Vantaa and Lennuliiklusteeninduse AS in Tallinn. In emergencies, full control of individual airspace would be restored to each country.”
https://simpleflying.com/finland-estonia-atc-merger/
—
https://news.err.ee/1608238185/finland-and-estonia-planning-joint-air-traffic-control-system
“Russian Su-30SM and Italian F-35As Had Their First Close Encounter off the Coast of Estonia.” - The Aviationist
NATO continues to be seen in a favorable light by people in member states
(Pew Research Org.)
“As leaders across Europe and North America gather next week for the 2021 NATO summit, most across the 10 member states included in a new Pew Research Center survey see the political and military alliance in a positive light. Moreover, positive views of NATO are at or near all-time highs across several member states. Opinions among Americans, who contribute the most to NATO’s annual budget, are at 61% favorable, the same as the overall median across the NATO states surveyed.”
—
“Favorable views of the U.S. have rebounded. These broadly positive views reflect a sharp uptick since last summer, when ratings of the U.S. were at or near historic lows in most countries. … In the first year of his presidency, Biden enjoys positive ratings from majorities in each of the publics surveyed. Overall, a median of 74% have confidence in the U.S. president to do the right thing in world affairs.”
The Disturbing New Hybrid of Democracy and Autocracy
By Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic
“In Poland and elsewhere, rulers—and the oligarchs who help them—have figured out how to create a one-party state without the hassle of staging a coup.”
“Ukraine’s Accelerating Slide into Authoritarianism.” - National Intrest
Upcoming NATO Summit
(CEPA)
“On June 14, allied heads of state will convene for a symbolic summit in Brussels. It will mark their first meeting since the election of U.S. President Joe Biden … Biden is scheduled to meet with Putin on 16. June in Geneva.”
https://cepa.org/a-nato-summit-to-engage-younger-generations/
“The Brussels Summit Agenda.” - NATO press release
“Baltic PMs emphasize importance of allied presence in run-up to NATO summit.” - Baltic Times
“Analüütikud ootavad Bideni visiidilt transatlantiliste suhete soojendamist.” - ERR
“The High-Stakes, Low-Expectations Summit.” - Foreign Affairs
“NATO Should Finally Take Its Values Seriously.” - War on the Rocks
“EU tells Biden to ‘walk the talk’ ahead of summit.” - Politico-Europe
“Opinion: Biden Is Everything Europe Asked For.” - Foreign Policy
“How Biden Can Go Bold with Putin at NATO Summit.” - Washington Monthly
“Biden Is Embracing Europe, but Then What? NATO and the E.U. Have Concerns.” - New York Times
“Biden is scheduled to meet with Putin 16. June in Geneva.” - The Bulwark
“Why Biden Must Make Putin Uncomfortable in Geneva.” - CEPA
— Wednesday 9. June —
MS Estonia investigation starts 8. July
(ERR)
“… beginning with a technical survey of the seabed. Rene Arikas, the head of the Safety Investigation Center, explained "The plan is to make a 3D image of the seabed and the wreck via the technical investigation. In addition, we will use an underwater robot to pinpoint the location of the damage,"
https://news.err.ee/1608240657/preliminary-ms-estonia-investigation-starts-july
EDF Final Afghanistan contingent arrives home to Estonia
(ERR)
“The arriving troops had served in Operation Resolute Support, successor of the original U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan initiated after the September 11 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, and were received at Ämari air base with a ceremony attended by family members as well as defense minister Kalle Laanet (Reform) and EDF commander Lt. Gen. Martin Herem …”
https://news.err.ee/1608240006/gallery-edf-final-afghanistan-contingent-arrives-home-in-estonia
—
https://news.err.ee/1608240192/edf-commander-afghanistan-mission-gave-estonian-soldiers-confidence
Moscow’s Effort to Isolate Finno-Ugric Peoples in Russia
By Paul Goble
“Angry at the influence Estonia, Finland and Hungary have had on their fellow Finno-Ugric nations within the Russian Federation, Moscow decided to block Finno-Ugric people from attending the world congress in Estonia later this month and to organize a competing meeting for the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia alone. … The Finno-Ugric peoples want to speak to one another; and in today’s world, they don’t need Moscow to decide whether they can,The Finno-Ugric peoples want to speak to one another; and in today’s world, they don’t need Moscow to decide whether they can.”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/06/moscows-effort-to-isolate-finno-ugric.html
“Moscow Erects New Iron Curtain between Finno-Ugric Nations inside Russia and Those Beyond Its Borders.” - Window on Eurasia
Why Nato Should Not Offer Ukraine And Georgia Membership Action Plans
(War on the Rocks)
“Preventing Ukraine — along with Georgia — from joining NATO is one of Russia’s key geopolitical objectives, and it is certainly one that it is willing to use military force to achieve. … However, the unfortunate truth is that NATO will not offer membership to Ukraine and Georgia any time soon. The reluctance of the alliance to do so is based on sound geopolitical reasoning and a sober evaluation of the two countries’ limited progress on much-needed reforms. NATO should not officially close its “open door” to new members, but Ukraine and Georgia remaining outside the alliance is ultimately the best policy for NATO given the circumstances.”
— Russia —
Russia outlaws Alexey Navalny’s entire political and anti-corruption movement
(Meduza | CBC | The Hill)
“The Russian authorities broadly interpret the meaning of “involvement” in extremist organizations. Officials consider supporters to be anyone who has helped or helps such groups with donations, counsel, or “any other kind of assistance.” If you attended an extremist group’s rally or even scribbled an approving comment somewhere online, your actions could qualify as illegal activity.”
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/06/10/hundreds-of-thousands-of-extremists
—
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/navalny-opposition-group-outlawed-1.6059587
—
—
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/06/07/public-politics-is-over-in-russia
The Kremlin believes that the EU does not deserve dialogue with Russia
(The Moscow Times)
“The only country that Moscow genuinely wants to have a dialogue with is Washington. Putin’s regime defines its place in the world through rejection of the U.S. global leadership and, simultaneously, through mimicking what it believes to be American behaviour in the international arena.”
—
“The EU, however, as seen from behind the Kremlin’s parapets, is no global player. Putin’s Russia does not define itself in relation to the EU. It is considered weak, indecisive and on the verge of collapse … It makes more sense to talk to the puppeteer, that is the U.S., rather than the puppets who have no ambition for global leadership.”
Middle-Aged Russians Now Pushing Up Share of All Russians who Want to Move Abroad
(Window on Eurasia)
“Thirty-three percent of those aged 25 to 39 and 21 percent of those aged 40 to 54 now say they would like to move abroad, figures far higher than in recent years.”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/06/middle-aged-russians-now-pushing-up.html
“Poll Indicates Almost Half of Young Russians Ready to Move Abroad for Good.” - Russia Matters
How Russians Learned to Stop Dreaming and Love the Past
(Riddle)
“Freedoms that most Russians have taken for granted over the last twenty years will be on the line. This includes the freedom to leave the country, which will be increasingly held hostage to Russia’s foreign policy. Russians have not valued their freedom of speech all that much, but they probably will not enjoy the prospect of going to jail for sharing an innocent social media post. Freedom of information has been almost totally replaced by the propaganda machine and may get even worse under proposed Internet regulations. Russians will also have to ponder freedom of assembly not just at a mass protest, but even at an educational lecture given at a popular café. Even the right to privacy, threatened by increasing data collection capabilities, may culminate in the total control of citizens. Russians have showed that they can make do without modern politics and even without a normal economy. But it is an open question whether they are willing to give up their right to basic activities and everyday comforts.”
https://www.ridl.io/en/how-russians-learned-to-stop-dreaming-and-love-the-past/
Russian Artist Risks Freedom to Expose Putin as a Monster
By Anna Nemtsova, Daily Beast
“Russia has morphed into a dystopia; not a day goes by without word that a new victim has been snatched by the authorities. The map of police raids on people’s homes stretches all across the country—any journalist, local activist, social media user or businessman could be next. … An anonymous underground artist is making devastating, horror movie-style portraits of the bloodthirsty elites silencing dissent.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-banksy-risks-his-freedom-to-expose-putin-as-a-monster?via=ios
— Belarus —
The Belarus Crisis Through the Eyes of Its Baltic and Nordic Neighbours
(ICDS)
“The Baltic states are the most immediate neighbours of Belarus. Two of them — Latvia and Lithuania — are particularly engaged with Belarus as they share a common border. In light of this, the dilemma of values and interests had to be considered prior to sanctioning their neighbour. Relative to the rest of the West, it was Latvia and Lithuania — the countries most economically interdependent and bilaterally engaged with Belarus — that took the most radical positions and respective risks to pursue values-based foreign policy. … As regards Estonia, the country is more distant and has less cooperation dimensions with Belarus compared to Latvia and Lithuania, furthermore politically Belarus have never been among Estonia’s foreign policy priorities, thus the country likely joined the Baltic alliance more out of solidarity with the neighbours rather than out of a genuine interest in solving the crisis.”
https://icds.ee/en/the-belarus-crisis-through-the-eyes-of-its-baltic-and-nordic-neighbours/
“Belarus Moving Toward 'Pariah Status’.” - RFERL
Russian Intelligence Pledges to Help Belarus Target Enemies Abroad
(Warsaw Institute)
“Belarusian special services are getting increasingly involved in joint activities with Russia. This is not only about counterintelligence cooperations to combat opposition forces inside the country, but also to intimidate those in other states. Such a conclusion comes from the deal the Belarusian KGB just inked with a Russian intelligence agency.”
https://warsawinstitute.org/russian-intelligence-pledges-help-lukashenko-target-enemies-abroad/
Belarusian exiles fear Lukashenko’s reach
(Politico-Europe)
“Thousands of Belarusians have fled their country in the wake of a fierce crackdown against a wave of protests that followed August’s presidential election, widely considered to be fraudulent. Most have come to Poland and Lithuania, where they join thousands of regular migrants taking advantage of easy work visas and higher salaries.”
Maria Kolesnikova: A Final Stand Of The Belarusian Resistance
(World Crunch)
“The shocking, mid-flight capture of a dissident journalist brings new attention to the repression taking place in Belarus, where another prominent political prisoner Kolesnikova has been locked up for months.”
https://worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/maria-kolesnikova-a-final-stand-of-the-belarusian-resistance
Belarus Far More European and Far Less Eurasian than Moscow or the West Think
By Paul Goble, Jamestown Org.
“The Belarusian population is far from the stereotypes that many in the West hold and Lukashenka appears to retain. Its people are increasingly urban, increasingly educated, and increasingly familiar not just with Russia to the east but also with the rapidly developing and democratizing countries in all other directions, including the Baltic states to the north, Poland to the west, and Ukraine to the south. They may watch Russian television, but they want to live like the Poles or Lithuanians.”
Lukashenko To Putin: A New Cold War, Or Something Worse?
(WorldCrunch)
“The forced diversion of a European plane ordered by Belarus strongman Aleksandr Lukashenko — of a European company, with European passengers on board of a flight circulating within Europe — is an episode that wouldn't have even dared happen in the Cold War. …”
https://worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/lukashenko-to-putin-a-new-cold-war-or-something-worse-1
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