Kallas under pressure to quit over husband's Russia ties
(Reuters)
“Two major Estonian newspapers called on her to resign and two opinion polls found a majority of respondents thought she should step down. Kallas has said she does not believe her husband's companies have done anything wrong …”
“PM Kaja Kallas: I have no plans to resign.” - ERR
It's surprising what you find in an Estonian bog
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“The Riisa bog visited by the Baltic Prime Ministers is between Parnu and Viljandi … one of the chief attractions of the bog is as a place to think. The wide horizons, the whispering wind and the resemblance of the dwarf pines and little bog pools to a vast, Zen bonsai garden lends itself naturally to rumination and philosophising. Hopefully the Baltic PMs had a chance for such reflections between courses. The brain works a different way in a quiet bog than it does in the reverberating cabinet debating chamber.”
“Visiting Estonia? What the locals love.” - National Geographic, 18. Aug.
“Estonia: Europe’s Burgeoning Travel Destination.” - Hotels Above Par
________________
Riisa raba foto:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stenbockimaja/albums/72177720310561891
EstoNews on-line:
https://estonewsoftheweek.blogspot.com/
Dropbox Archive:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1kvd04gtar6ty2b/AADCUK2J_RXcMyIYf_sjnAwoa?dl=0
________________
Friday 25. August
Kaja Kallas' husband will reportedly sell stake in Russia-oriented business
(Postimees, 25. August)
“Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas' husband Arvo Hallik, who has caused a government crisis with his Russia-oriented business, announced on Friday that he will sell all shares in Stark Logistics and withdraw from the company.”
—
“In the light of the media coverage that has emerged, I understand that my business activities, shareholding and work in Stark Logistics, a company that has been carrying out transport services from Estonia to Russia for our client AS Metaprint, have raised questions that, regardless of the answers, will affect my wife’s work," Hallik said in a statement.”
—
"Therefore, I have today agreed with the other shareholders of Stark Logistics to immediately sell all my shares back to Stark Logistics, resign from the company's board of directors, terminate my contract as CFO and relinquish all roles and responsibilities and hand them over to other employees.”
“Stark Logistics: We realize now our actions are immoral in the eyes of many.” - ERR
Kaja Kallas: ma ei plaani tagasi astuda
(ERR | Delfi)
“Me abikaasaga kodus tööasju ei räägi.”
https://www.err.ee/1609077236/kaja-kallas-ma-ei-plaani-tagasi-astuda
—
“Kapo: peaministri abikaasaga seotud ettevõtted pole sanktsioone rikkunud.” - ERR
“Eksperdid skandaalist: peaministrina jätkamine saab olema olema vaevaline kannatamine.” - Postimees
“Kallas kutsuti erikomisjoni ette nii presidendi kantselei kui ka Stark Logisticsi asjus.” - ERR
 |
| Postimees On-Line Poll | 25. August 2023 |
Polls show majority of Estonians think Kallas should resign
By Silver Tambur, Estonian World
“[One poll reported] … 57% of respondents said ‘she should resign’, 31% said ‘she should explain but could continue in her post’, 7% said ‘she should do nothing’.”
—
“… resignation … is the view of 96% of the supporters of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party (also known as EKRE), 80% of the Centre Party and 74% of Isamaa.”
https://estonianworld.com/security/polls-estonian-prime-minister-kaja-kallas-should-resign/
“Calls For Estonian PM To Resign Over Husband's Links With Russia.” - Barrons
Kallas Has ‘Nothing to Hide’ on Spouse’s Russia Activity
(Bloomberg)
“Kallas seeks to contain criticism over spouse’s business links. His trucking company reportedly has a client in Russia.”
“Company partly owned by Kaja Kallas’s husband continues to do business with Russia.” - Estonian World, 24. Aug
“Estonian Premier Rebuts Criticism Over Husband’s Business Links.” - Bloomberg Canada, 23. Aug
“MPs slam Estonian prime minister's husband's Russia business links.” - ERR, 24. Aug
“Estonian president awaiting explanations from PM.” - The Baltic Times
“Kallas compromised by Russian business connection.” - Eurotopics
“Estonian PM says her husband has not acted unethically.” - Postimees
300 Estonian companies export to Russia
(ERR)
“According to the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA), about 1,000 Estonian companies shipped items to Russia in 2019. Exports to Russia declined dramatically after 2022, when Russia began a war in Ukraine and the European Union imposed sanctions on many categories of goods.”
https://news.err.ee/1609071320/over-300-estonian-companies-still-export-to-russia
Thoughts on NATO from the Estonian-Russian Border at Narva
By Benjamin Wittes, editor in chief of Lawfare
“Spend a few hours in Narva, and it’s hard not to think about the alliance.”
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/thoughts-on-nato-from-the-estonian-russian-border
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact effect lasted until 1991
By Meelis Maripuu, Estonian World
“… the spheres of influence agreed upon with this pact remained on the winning side for decades until the collapse of the USSR, because the realpolitik of the other countries was unable or unwilling to change this. However, the USSR’s annexation of the Baltic states was not de jure recognised by the Western powers, which, in many ways, facilitated the process of regaining independence in 1991.”
Western peacemongering risks a bigger and worse war later
By Edward Lucas, CEPA
“Finally, key NATO countries have decided to allow Ukrainian pilots to start training on F-16s. The US has also given the green light for the Netherlands and Denmark to start transferring these warplanes to Ukraine. The news is as welcome as the delay is infuriating.”
https://news.err.ee/1609072439/edward-lucas-ukraine-paying-a-heavy-price-for-western-procrastination
One step beyond: Why the EU needs a Russia strategy
By Marie Dumoulin, ECFR
“Since February 2022, it has pursued a Ukraine policy; it still does not have a separate one for Russia. Yet, the EU’s relationship to Russia cannot be reduced to the war in Ukraine, even if that will remain the most determining element.”
https://ecfr.eu/article/one-step-beyond-why-the-eu-needs-a-russia-strategy/
Thursday 24. August
Opinion: Estonia's success story and it’s 21st century challenges
By Tõnis Saarts, ERR
“It is hardly a surprise that re-independent Estonia is considered one of the most successful transitional states among Eastern Europe's new democracies. But the challenges of that post-communist society were quite different from what the 21st century is throwing at us. The looming climate crisis, galloping technological advancement, growing social inequality and the tide of political populism require different approaches from what helped pull Estonia from the post-communist swamp 20-30 years ago. …”
https://news.err.ee/1609070033/tonis-saarts-estonia-s-success-story-and-21st-century-challenges
Opinion: Estonia on the road to becoming a dead-end station
By Indrek Kiisler, ERR
“Estonia's number one challenge for the next decade is to stop our competitive ability from crumbling. … Do we have enough skilled labor? Not really. Do we have sufficient and convenient links to the rest of the world? They are not enough if we're being honest. Are there attractive markets nearby? The truth is that there are none. What is more, our relative isolation has already left us with considerably higher energy prices compared to our wealthier neighbors. Why should a foreign company do business in Estonia?”
https://news.err.ee/1609072709/indrek-kiisler-estonia-on-the-road-to-becoming-a-dead-end-station
Estonia Building Imager To Intercept Pristine Long Period Comet
(Forbes)
“With participation from the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and partners like Estonia’s Tartu Observatory, the crux of the mission —- due for launch in 2029 —- is to remotely characterize the building blocks of our earliest solar system.”
—
“To that end, planetary scientists at Estonia’s Tartu Observatory are playing a vital role. They are building the estimated 5-million-euro Optical Periscopic Imager for Comets (OPIC) which, among other things, will characterize gases from the target comet’s nucleus.”
—
“OPIC is named in honor of Estonian astronomer Ernst Öpik.”
Estonia Plans To Increase Electronic Surveillance On Border With Russia
(RFERL)
“… along the Narva River, which forms the northern part of its border with Russia. The board of the Estonian Police and Border Guard said the project involves the installation of six digital cameras and radar checkpoints, expanding the number of monitoring points to 15. Construction is to start in winter and finish by April 2025.”
https://www.rferl.org/a/estonia-surveillance-russia-border/32561834.html
Arvamus: Prigožini kuulsusetu, kuid tähendusrikas surm. Mis saab edasi?
Kalev Stoicescu, Postimees
“Lõpuks tuli uudis, mida oli oodata pikemat aega. Täpsemalt alates 24. juunist, kui niinimetatud erasõjafirma Wagneri juht Jevgeni Prigožin alandas Venemaa diktaator-tsaari. Putin ei andesta endavastast mässu. Ta nimetas mässavaid wagnerlasi reeturiteks. … Wagneri juhi efektne surm paneb kogu protsessile lõpp-punkti demonstreerimaks, et asi on ära lahendatud ning olukord Putini kindla kontrolli all.”
“Wagneri juht Prigožin hukkus lennuõnnetuses Venemaal.” - Postimees
“Julgeolekuekspert Rainer Saks: Prigožini lennuki allakukkumine on sümboolne.” - ERR
Wagner lammutab Valgevenes telklaagreid
(Postimees)
“Valgevenes jätkub Wagneri eraarmeele rajatud telklaagrite mahavõtmine, näitavad projekti Planet Labs satelliidipildid, mis jõudsid raadiojaama Vabadus Valgevene toimetusse. Kesk-Valgevenes AssipovitÅ¡i lähedal Tseli külas on viimasel ajal maha võetud umbes kolmandik telkidest. 23. augusti satelliidipildi alusel hindas väljaanne, et 273 telgist oli laagris maha võetud juba 101.”
https://maailm.postimees.ee/7840978/wagner-lammutab-valgevenes-telklaagreid
Wednesday 23. August
Estonia to raise the compulsory education age to 18 years of age
(Estonian World)
“… or until the acquisition of vocational education. The ministry points out that 654 elementary school graduates did not continue their education in 2022.”
https://estonianworld.com/knowledge/estonia-to-raise-compulsory-education-age-to-18/
Which country sends the most aid to Ukraine among Nato’s big guns?
(South China Morning Post)
“The US is by far the biggest provider of weapons, but the most generous countries in terms of GDP are … Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.”
Latvia Backs Away From Rules to Expel Thousands of Russians
(Bloomberg via Yahoo News)
“… as many as 10,000 people risked expulsion from the Baltic nation for not meeting a language requirement.”
https://news.yahoo.com/latvia-backs-away-rules-expel-095555156.html
Finland may participate in Baltic air policing
(ERR)
“Finland's Minister of Defense Antti Häkkänen (National Coalition Party) said that the country would decide Helsinki's participation in NATO peacetime missions come fall. Finland could station troops in the Baltics or participate in the Baltic Air Policing mission.”
https://news.err.ee/1609072661/finland-may-participate-in-baltic-air-policing
“Soome võib osaleda Baltikumi õhuturbes.” - ERR
Nearly 1 million crossed Finland-Russia border this year despite restrictions
(Yle)
“Finland closed its border to Russian tourists last year in response to the changing geopolitical situation following the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.”
—
“However, the statistics tell a different story. By the end of July, the Finnish Border Guard had recorded a total of 973,337 — or nearly one million — crossings of the eastern border, with roughly half arriving into Finland from Russia and the other half going in the opposite direction.”
Sauli Niinistö: Russia won't meddle in Finnish presidential elections
(Yle)
“I wouldn't say that they would try to influence our elections. The Russians would have difficulty finding a favoured candidate," he said. Niinistö made the remarks during his speech to an annual gathering of Finnish diplomats and foreign policy leaders in Helsinki on Tuesday. This year marks Niinistö's last appearance as Finnish president at the prestigious foreign policy event.”
Swedish wine: Global warming is shifting Europe's vineyards northwards
(Euronews)
“As drought, rising heat and other extreme weather events are forcing traditional wine-growing regions to reassess their methods, Swedish winemaking is shifting from mostly small-scale amateurs to an industry with growing ambition."
--
"Kullabergs VingÃ¥rd is a vineyard and winery at the vanguard of producers seeking to redefine what Swedish wine can be. Stretching over 14 hectares, most of its vines were planted less than a decade ago. By 2022, the winery had reached an annual output of over 30,000 bottles …”
How Russian hackers targeted NATO’s Vilnius summit
(Politico Europe | Graphika)
“Two groups of suspected Russian hackers tried to derail the NATO defense alliance’s recent Vilnius summit by spreading disinformation and apparent intelligence documents online, social media research firm Graphika said. In a new report shared with POLITICO, Graphika detailed how it found one campaign spreading fake NATO press releases through web pages mimicking the alliance’s website and through fake social media accounts. Another group posted documents online about the summit’s internal security measures, claiming that they were documents obtained from the Lithuanian government.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-hackers-targeted-nato-vilnius-summit-graphika/
—
https://public-assets.graphika.com/reports/graphika_report_summit_old_summit_new.pdf
- Russia’s Forever War -
Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and Stalin - Three Most Popular Russian Leaders in New Poll
By Paul Goble
“Yeltsin and Gorbachev Most Unpopular.”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2023/08/peter-great-catherine-great-and-stalin.html
Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin listed in Russian plane crash with no survivors
(Reuters | AP | BBC | Moscow Times | CNN)
“The crash is widely seen as an assassination to avenge a mutiny that challenged Putin. … Most Russians were probably surprised it hadn't happened sooner.”
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ten-killed-private-jet-crash-north-moscow-tass-2023-08-23/
—
https://apnews.com/article/russia-wagner-prigozhin-jet-crash-382515214f691e47daa2e3635d64e612
—
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66601412
—
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/24/europe/putin-prigozhin-comments-intl/index.html
 |
| Putin satire post on Twitter / X Luna-25 is the Russian moon lander that recently crashed |
Russian Offensive Campaign
Assessment: 23 August
(ISW)
“The Russian Federal Aviation Agency (Rosaviatsiya) reported on August 23 that all the passengers – Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Sergei Propustin, Yevgeny Makaryan, Alexander Totmin, Valery Chekalov, Nikolai Matyuseev – died in the crash along with all three crew members.”
—
“Chekalov, who is under US sanctions for transferring munitions to Russia and has acted on behalf of Prigozhin, oversaw Wagner transport logistics and “civilian” projects abroad. A Russian insider source claimed that Chekalov also served as head of Wagner’s security services, though another source refuted this claim. Dossier also reported that several other passengers joined Wagner between 2015 and 2017 and fought in Syria, although their current positions are unclear.”
—
“Russian sources amplified footage apparently showing a Russian missile striking an aircraft carrying Prigozhin, Utkin, and other Wagner commanders and the wreckage of the aircraft. An insider source claimed that two S-300 missiles shot down the aircraft.”
—
“Putin almost certainly ordered the Russian military command to shoot down Prigozhin’s plane. Putin may have concluded that he had sufficiently separated Prigozhin from Wagner and could kill him without turning Prigozhin into a martyr for the remaining Wagner personnel.”
—
“Putin’s almost certain order for the Russian MoD to shoot down Prigozhin’s plane is likely a public attempt to reassert his dominance and exact vengeance for the humiliation that the Wagner Group’s armed rebellion on June 24 caused Putin and the Russian MoD.”
—
“Russian milbloggers will likely focus most of their coverage in the coming days on Prigozhin’s assassination and may report less on the Ukrainian counteroffensive.”
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-23-2023
“Prigozhin’s Death Heralds Even More Spectacular Violence.” - The Atlantic
“It appears Prigozhin got the punishment Putin vowed.” - CBC
“Prigozhin's death: Show of strength or admission of weakness for Putin?” - France24
“Prigozhin’s death has exposed Putin’s weakness.” - The Spectator
“Prigozhin’s last crew: Who else was on the Wagner chief’s jet?” - Novaya Gazeta
“Prigozhin’s fate a warning shot for Putin’s critics.” - The Hill
____________
Ukraine drone strike reportedly destroys Russian TU-22M3 supersonic bomber
(The Guardian)
“The latest attack was “highly likely” to have destroyed a Tu-22M3 Backfire bomber jet at the Soltsy-2 airbase, 400 miles (650km) from the border with Ukraine, on 19 August, British military intelligence said in a regular update on the war. Social media images showed an aircraft that resembled the Tu-22M3 in flames on a runway.”
 |
| https://liveuamap.com/ |
Ukraina hävitas droonirünnakuga kaks Vene Tu-22M3 strateegilist pommitajat
(ERR)
“Ukraina droonirünnakutes Vene Soltsõ ja TÅ¡aikovka lennuväljadele hävis täielikult kaks Vene õhuväe Tu-22M3 strateegilist pommitajat, kinnitas allikas Ukraina luures Ukrainska Pravdale. Veel kaks lennukit olevat saanud kahjustada.”
—
“Sama allika kinnitusel rünnati neid lennuvälju droonidega Vene Föderatsiooni territooriumilt. Soltsõ asub Ukraina piirist ligikaudu 650 kilomeetri kaugusel.”
'General Armageddon' Sergei Surovikin’s career is over
(Deutsche Welle | The Guardian | CBC)
“After disappearing from public view, Sergei Surovikin's fate is now clear. The Russian army commander in Ukraine's career is over, for now at least. Proximity to Wagner rebel Prigozhin seems to have done the trick.”
https://www.dw.com/en/sergei-surovikin-general-armageddon-gets-stood-down/a-66615587
—
—
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-ukraine-war-latest-1.6944699
Russia’s Vile New Anti-Ukraine Propaganda
(The Bulwark)
“Last week, Russian propaganda achieved a new low in its quest to sell Russia’s war in Ukraine. A slickly produced but extremely unsubtle feature film underwritten by Vladimir Putin’s government falsely suggests that the Russian invasion was merely a preemptive strike about an imminent Ukrainian attack; that it’s a war against “Nazis,” not Ukrainians; and that the atrocities known around the world as Russian war crimes in Ukraine were actually perpetrated by the Ukrainian side. The fictional story of a Belgian Jewish violinist who accidentally becomes an eyewitness to the awful truth, the film deliberately evokes World War II and Holocaust films, above all Roman Polanski’s The Pianist, to frame Ukraine’s defenders as the new Nazis.”
https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/russia-vile-new-anti-ukraine-propaganda-film
__________
_____
__
