Estonia to move forward with NY / SF consulate closures despite criticisms
(ERR - 26. Oct)
"While several organizations and members of the Estonian diaspora have denounced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' announced plans to close its New York and San Francisco consulates, the ministry is nonetheless moving forward with the closures, citing needed budget cuts.”
A comment on the Change Org petition page against the closures.
Eesti välisminister kinnitas USA konsulaatide sulgemise otsust
(Estonian World Review - 26. Oct)
“Hoolimata tugevast USA väliseestlaste poolt tulnud kriitikast, on Eesti välisministeerium siiski otsustanud sulgeda New Yorgi ja San Francisco peakonsulaadid Ameerika Ühendriikides, tuues põhjenduseks rahalise kokkuhoiu.”
—
"Välisministeerium on langetanud need 1,2 miljoni eurose kärpega seotud otsused pika kaalumise tagajärjel. See puudutab nii koondamist kui ka teenuste vähendamist. Meil oli valikus, kas sulgeda mõni suursaatkond või vaadata üle konsulaatide töö. Otsustasime, et New Yorgi ja San Francisco konsulaadid pannakse kinni, aga konsulaarteenuste kättesaadavus ei muutu halvemaks.”
https://www.eesti.ca/eesti-valisminister-kinnitas-usa-konsulaatide-sulgemise-otsust/article60596
Consulates in the US are crucial for Estonia’s security
By Jaak Treiman, Estonian World
“… the Estonian foreign ministry’s decision to close the New York City and San Francisco consulates is not in Estonia’s best interests – as both consulates provide indispensable value and are a crucial enhancement of Estonia’s physical and economic security.”
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Friday 27. October
Eesti teadlaste uus süsteem ennustab lekkivate laevavrakkide kahju
(Novaator)
“Eesti rannikumeres on palju laevavrakke. Kuna enamik neist lebab merepõhjas juba üle 70 aasta, võivad need üha tõenäolisemalt lekkida. Tallinna Tehnikaülikooli mereteadlased said nüüd valmis süsteemi, mis ennustab, kuhu lekkiv kütus meres liigub.”
Algas Ülemiste terminali ehitus
(Eesti Päevaleht)
“Praegu on seal vesine tiik, peagi peen jaamahoone.”
Eesti sõlmis USA-ga koostöökokkuleppe tarnekindluse tagamiseks
(Postimees)
“Riigi kaitseinvesteeringute keskuse (RKIK) peadirektor Magnus-Valdemar Saar ja USA kaitseministeeriumi soetamise ja jätkusuutlikkuse asekantsler Dr William A. LaPlante allkirjastasid eelmine nädal NATO peakorteris Brüsselis kahepoolse kokkuleppe, mille eesmärk on tugevdada vastastikust kaitse- ja julgeolekuvaldkonna koostööd varustuskindluse tagamisel.”
https://www.postimees.ee/7885437/eesti-solmis-usa-ga-koostookokkuleppe-tarnekindluse-tagamiseks
Läti-Valgevene piiril: iga päev tabatakse 100 illegaalset immigranti
(ERR)
“Läti-Valgevene piiril on ebaseaduslike sisserändajate hulk viimasel ajal stabiliseerunud üsna kõrgel tasemel – ööpäevas peetakse piiril või selle lähedal kinni umbes 100 inimest. Kogu Läti idapiiril lõpetatakse traataia paigaldamine järgmisel aastal, seejärel saab kogu Läti-Valgevene ja Läti-Venemaa piiriala ka jälgimisseadmed.”
Russia’s war in Ukraine makes its hybrid warfare against others more dangerous
(Window on Eurasia)
“Mart Kuldepp, Estonian historian at University College of London … argues that Russia also continues its sub-Article 5 aggression against its other neighboring countries, and the West in general. In fact, it is now even more dangerous than before, because Ukraine’s prospects for success are directly linked to the support it receives from its partners, and this is something that Russia hopes to undermine with its hybrid measures.”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2023/10/russias-conventional-war-in-ukraine-has.html
Viljandi's only public sauna closes due to budget cuts
(ERR)
“The move will save €36,000 but the Vijandi council needs to cut more than €1 million this year from its budget. Councilors said inflation and price rises have left a huge hole in the budget.”
https://news.err.ee/1609147282/viljandi-s-only-public-sauna-closes-due-to-budget-cuts
Israel-Palestine conflict spilling over into Estonian society must be avoided
(BNS via Estonian World)
“In a letter sent to the representatives of the Estonian Jewish community on 25 October, the interior minister, Lauri Läänemets affirmed that the state is doing everything possible to ensure that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has escalated again as a result of terrorist attacks by Hamas, does not spill over into the Estonian society and is not expressed in anti-Semitism-driven hatred, provocations or attacks on persons and property.”
It's No Time To Go Wobbly On Ukraine
(The National Interest)
“Notwithstanding the concerns of some Americans about U.S. commitments to Ukraine, the case for NATO support against Russia remains a strong one.”
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/its-no-time-go-wobbly-ukraine-207042
‘The time has come.’ Sweden gets ready for NATO membership
(Politico Europe)
“In one of the most consequential strategic realignments since Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine, Sweden appears poised to join Finland inside NATO as soon as next month, linking arms with its neighbors in an increasingly joined-up defense of Europe’s northeast. … Since Sweden applied to join the alliance last year, support among Swedes for the move has risen from around 48 percent to close to 70 percent despite an effort by Turkey to disrupt the process.”
—
“… on Monday, the Turkish leader said he had signed and passed documents to the parliament in Ankara so it can vote on Sweden’s eventual accession.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/sweden-nato-membership-jens-stoltenberg/
“Stoltenberg welcomes latest steps towards Sweden’s NATO accession.” - NATO
“Opinion: Sweden’s Membership in NATO Is Still Not a Done Deal.” - Messenger
Estonia says damage to Baltic Sea pipeline and cables are all linked
(Politico Europe |Reuters)
“But let’s not rush to premature conclusions, adds PM Kaja Kallas.”
—
“Prokuratuur ja kaitsepolitsei avaldasid pildi lõhutud Eesti-Soome sidekaablist.” - Postimees
“Elering relying on insurance to cover damaged infrastructure, not EU.” - ERR
“Prokuratuur saadab Hiinale Eesti-Soome sidekaabli asjus õigusabitaotluse.” - ERR
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Thursday 26. October
Läänemeri muutub üha soolasemaks
(Novaator)
“Viimastel aastakümnetel Läänemeres ja selle ümbruses toimunud muutusi analüüsinud teadlased leidsid, et selles leiduva magevee hulk on viimastel kümnenditel oluliselt vähenenud. Seejuures on muutused mere erinevates otstes erisuunalised. Kokkuvõtlikult on viimasel kahel aastakümnel vähenenud Läänemeres magevee hulk aastas ligi 24 kuupkilomeetri võrra.”
https://novaator.err.ee/1609145015/laanemeri-muutub-uha-soolasemaks
“Geoökoloog: Kihljärv on Narva karjäärile ohvriks toodud.” - Novaator
Educator studies acculturation of Ukrainian children in Estonia
(University of Miami - 10. Oct)
“Professor Dina Birman, during the past academic year, was a Fulbright Scholar in Tallinn, Estonia, a country that has welcomed thousands of Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war in their country.”
—
“The International Monetary Fund has reported that 62,000 Ukrainian refugees were accepted by Estonia, the highest number of refugees accepted by any European Union country, given its population. “I wanted to understand the range of experiences that these children had in schools and the programs created to accommodate them,” said Birman.”
Estonia focuses on Chinese vessel in investigation into underwater cable damage
(Reuters)
“Helsinki is investigating the pipeline incident, while Tallinn is looking into the cables incidents. The spokesperson for Estonia's general prosecutor said the investigation into the damage to the Estonia-Finland cable is moving its focus to the same vessel, despite the cable being located "somewhat further" from the pipeline. "I hope we will receive the necessary support from China to make constructive contact with the crew and owners of the ship," Estonia's Foreign Affairs Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Tuesday.”
Finland recovers ship’s anchor close to damaged Baltic Sea pipeline
(The Guardian - 24. October)
“Investigators seeking to establish whether it came from a Chinese container vessel and have not ruled out sabotage.”
“China cautions Finland and Estonia over pipeline 'sabotage' investigation.” - Euronews - 23. October
“Who is sabotaging underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea?.” - The Economist - 22. October
“Closing access to Baltic Sea possible only partially, during war.” - ERR
Latvian President: Security could be very difficult during the next six years
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“It must be understood that the next 4-6 years will be very difficult. We see what is happening in Ukraine, we see what is happening in Israel, we see trends in Europe... We see that time should not be wasted on any unnecessary squabbles, but focus on strengthening the security of our country – both financially and in essence, as citizens see how they can get involved in strengthening national defense and civil defense," said President Edgars Rinkēvičs.”
Wednesday 25. October
Peaministri „Eesti 2035“ elluviimise ülevaade Riigikogus, 24. oktoober 2023
(Eesti Valitsus)
“„Eesti 2035“ seab viis võrdväärset ja üksteisega seotud strateegilist sihti:”
- Eestis elavad arukad, tegusad ja tervist hoidvad inimesed.
- Eesti ühiskond on hooliv, koostöömeelne ja avatud.
- Eesti majandus on tugev, uuendusmeelne ja vastutustundlik.
- Eestis on kõigi vajadusi arvestav, turvaline ja kvaliteetne elukeskkond.
- Eesti on uuendusmeelne, usaldusväärne ja inimesekeskne riik.
https://valitsus.ee/uudised/peaministri-eesti-2035-elluviimise-ulevaade-riigikogus-24-oktoober-2023
“Prime minister outlines Estonia's progress towards 2035 goals.” - ERR
Russians sent nearly 50 ghost yachts to Estonia over the past summer
(Postimees)
“… which is more than ever before and many times more than to other European Union countries at the same time, but there is no confirmation that these vessels have indeed arrived in Estonian ports. According to Russian customs declarations, the most expensive yacht imported to Estonia is the 10-year-old Sunseeker Predator, which, according to the documents, is worth €5.46 million.”
https://news.postimees.ee/7882202/russians-send-nearly-50-ghost-yachts-to-estonia-over-the-summer
Russia working to undermine trust in elections globally, US intelligence says
(The Guardian)
“This is a global phenomenon. Our information indicates that senior Russian government officials, including in the Kremlin, see value in this type of influence operation and perceive it to be effective.”
- Russia’s Forever War -
Documentary: Ukraine’s Stolen Children
(The Guardian)
“This calm, vivid documentary looks at the thousands of youngsters missing amidst the invasion – and their families’ search. Be warned: the Russian response may cause outrage.”
Russian Offensive Campaign
Assessment: 26. Oct.
(ISW)
“Heavy Russian equipment losses around Avdiivka will likely undermine Russian offensive capabilities over the long term. Ukrainian Tavriisk Group of Forces Spokesperson Colonel Oleksandr Shtupun stated on October 26 that Russian forces have suffered 5,000 personnel killed and wounded and 400 armored vehicles losses near Avdiivka and Marinka (southwest of Donetsk City) since October 10.”
—
“Ukrainian forces marginally advanced on the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast and continued offensive operations near Bakhmut and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.”
—
“The EU is reportedly behind on its artillery ammunition round provision to Ukraine. … (it) has currently delivered only 30 percent of the promised one million shells that are expected by March 2024.”
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-october-26-2023
“Estonian parlt speaker: Russia must compensate Ukraine for war damages.” - Baltic Times
"Russian deserters call on former comrades to join them.” - The Guardian
“15% of Russians Who Fled War Mobilization Have Returned.” - Moscow Times
“Dossiers of evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine have been presented to German federal prosecutors.” - The Guardian
“Russian Lawmakers Back Massive Military Spending Increase to 6% GDP.” - The Moscow Times
Russia executing soldiers who are not following orders
(Euronews)
“This reflects morale problems among the Kremlin's conscript army 20 months into its grinding invasion of Ukraine … (A) US official did not provide any details on how many Russian troops have been executed for defying commands or any specific examples of units threatened with death for retreating. His assessment corroborates with claims that Chechen fighters from southern Russia have been used to enforce discipline on disgruntled Russian troops, executing deserters and those who try to defect to the Ukrainian side.”
https://www.euronews.com/2023/10/27/russia-executing-soldiers-not-following-orders-says-us
Russia raises interest rate to 15%
(The Guardian)
“Current inflationary pressures have significantly increased to a level above the Bank of Russia’s expectations,” the bank said. “Higher inflationary pressures are seen across an increasingly broader range of goods and services. This means that a steady rise in domestic demand is progressively exceeding the capabilities to expand the production of goods and the provision of services. These conditions boost businesses’ appetite to pass higher costs on to consumers, which is driven among others by the weakening of the rouble and labour shortages.”
“Nõrk rubla sundis Venemaa keskpanka intressimäära jälle tõstma.” - ERR
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