“Why are we handing Russia what it wants?”- Kaja Kallas
EU’s Chief Diplomat blasts U.S. over Ukraine
(The Moscow Times)
“Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister known for her staunch support of Ukraine, condemned what she described as a reckless diplomatic maneuver that rewards Russian aggression before negotiations even begin.”
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“We shouldn’t take anything off the table before negotiations start. It plays into Russia’s hands. And it is exactly what they want,” she said. “Why are we giving them everything they want even before negotiations begin?”
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“Appeasement has never worked.”
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“The U.S. President Blindsided Europe.” - Politico Europe
“Estonia rules out recognizing changes to Ukraine's border.” - ERR
“Finnish politicians worry about Trump-Putin call.” - Yle
“Sweden stresses Kyiv’s role in Ukraine peace process.” - Radio Sweden
“Lithuania: Trump-Putin deal on Ukraine would be ‘deadly trap’.” - LRT
“Aggressor can’t choose from menu – Lithuanian president on Russia’s demands.” - LRT
“EU leaders: You need us at the table to make any peace deal work.” - Euronews
“Defense minister: Let's not make negotiations easy for Putin.” - ERR
“Troubling questions about America’s commitment to European security.” - AP
“Trump and Putin stun Europe with peace plan for Ukraine.” - Politico
“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responds to blowback from Ukraine, NATO remarks.” - The Hill
“Trump and Putin call: ’Highly productive’.” - Novaya Gazeta
“Trump cedes to Russia on Ukraine, but the bigger victim may be NATO.” - LA Times
“Russian officials and pro-war bloggers gloat after Trump-Putin call.” - Meduza
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U.S.-Russia Talks 'Obsolete' After Chernobyl Drone Strike, says Kallas
(Moscow Times)
“It clearly shows that [the Russians] don't want peace,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told journalists on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. “All these other talks have been totally obsolete because of the bombing of the nuclear station, bombing of civilians, bombing of civilian infrastructure.”
“Russian Drone Strike Damages Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Shield.” - RFERL
“The damage to the shelter is significant, Zelenskyy said.” - Politico
“Video of the Russian drone strike at Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.” - Meduza
Arvamus: Venemaa on plindris ja nüüd ulatas Trump ise abikäe
Riho Terras, Postimees
“Euroopa vajab selget liidrit ja see tühimik annab täna valusalt tunda. | Meid on otsustajate laua tagant kõrvale jäetud. | Euroopal on võimekus USA tühimik Ukraina selja taga täita. Aga kas ka tahe?”
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“Euroopa on otsustanud iluuisutada ajal, mil teised mängivad hokit.”
“Kreml pani paika oma USAga peetavate rahukõneluste meeskonna võtmeisikud.” - Postimees
“Trumpi kõnetraadi otsa saanud Putin tähistab esimest võitu.” - Postimees
“Tsahkna Putini ja Trumpi kõnest: ma arvan, et see tuli ka ukrainlastele ootamatult.” - Postimees
“Trumpi sõbrustamine Putiniga kütab Ida-Ukraina kaevikutes ja Kiievi tänavail usaldamatust.” - Postimees
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Cover Photo:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Räpina_polder.jpg
EstoNews On-Line:
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EstoNews Dropbox Archive:
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All you need to know about Estonia's 'Eesti Laul' 2025
(Eurovision)
“'Eesti Laul' 2025 is happening on Saturday 15. February and is set to start at 18:15 CET. Wherever you are in the world, you'll be able to tune in to Estonia's Eurovision pre-selection via broadcaster ERR's online player.”
https://eurovision.tv/story/all-you-need-know-eesti-laul-2025
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Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service public report 2025
(Välisluureamet | ERR)
“The threat of a direct military attack on Estonia remains unlikely in 2025, but Russia’s policy towards us remains hostile, and its confrontation with the West continues. The report discusses Russia's military reform, the development of drone technology, nuclear intimidation, foreign policy and and domestic politics, sabotage campaigns and the activities of special services …”
https://www.valisluureamet.ee/en.html
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“Eesti välisluure: sõjalise rünnaku oht Eestile on 2025. aastal ebatõenäoline.” - Estonian World Review
“Foreign Minister Tsahkna in annual foreign policy speech: What we should fear is the success of the aggression, not the aggressor’s defeat.” - Välisluureamet
“Estonian intelligence: Russian propagandists aiming to reignite fears of nuclear winter.” - Postimees
“Estonian intelligence: Russia spending heavily to deploy drone technology on large scale.” - Postimees
In Estonia, starting 2026, new buildings will be required to be built with shelters
(Militarnui)
“The requirement to have a shelter applies to industrial buildings with areas of 1,500 square meters or more. At the same time, if the area of a public building exceeds 10,000 square meters, the shelter must be open to all passers-by.”
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“Such shelters must withstand both the collapse of the building itself and the explosion next to it. To do this, the walls and ceiling of the shelter must withstand a pressure of 100 kilonewtons per square meter. It is noted that approximately the same pressure occurs when an artillery shell explodes at a distance of five meters or an FAB-100 bomb at a distance of 25 meters.”
Estonia, along with NATO, has ramped up Baltic Sea patrols
(CBC | Reuters)
“At a time when the eight NATO nations bordering the Baltic Sea are on high alert after a string of undersea power and internet cables were suspiciously severed, Russia's shadow fleet is getting extra attention. "We are here to guard our waters," said Lt. Cmdr. Meelis Kants in an interview with CBC News on Wednesday. "If ships are really doing something suspicious, we will stop them.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/undersea-cables-baltic-sea-patrol-nato-1.7458802
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https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/baltic-sea-estonian-navy-prepared-stop-vessels-2025-02-13/
“What is Russia’s ‘shadow fleet,’ and why it worries Europe.” - Christian Sciewnce Monitor
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“Ämari lennubaasis avati kolm uut kasarmut.” - Postimees
“Estonia unveils estimated cost of nuclear investment.” - NEI
“Kaitseväe Reedo linnakusse saabus USA 7. ratsaväerügemendi 5. Eskadron.” - Eesti Kaitsevägi
“Estonia’s FM: Russia remains a serious and a long-term security threat.” - Estonian World
“US has been interested in Estonia's rare earth metals for years now.” - ERR
“Estonian robotics company Milrem introduces a new 8×8 combat vehicle.” - Estonian World
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Around the Baltic Sea
Inside the EU’s plan to seize Russia’s shadow fleet on the Baltic Sea
(Politico)
“European countries are holding behind-the-scenes talks on large-scale seizures of Moscow’s oil-exporting tankers in the Baltic Sea, according to two European Union diplomats and two government officials. They are also currently drafting new legislation to add legal heft to those efforts.”
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““Close to 50 percent of sanctioned trade [in Russian seaborne oil] is going through the Gulf of Finland,” said Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna. “There are the environmental threats, there are the attacks we’ve had against our undersea infrastructure. Now the question is … what can we do with these ships?” he told Politico. “We cannot block all the sea, but we can control more. There are lots of opportunities.”
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“Baltic states successful in switching to the European power grid.” - CNN
“Lithuanian defence minister: EU defence capabilities 'not matching' Russia's speed.” - Euronews
“Latvia's State Security Service keeps an eye on anti-Baltic 'conference' speakers.” - Latvian Public Media
“Sweden: The Örebro mass shooting has reignited the debate over the country’s firearm licensing system.” - Radio Sweden
"Danish intelligence: Russia could start a major war in Europe within 5 years.” - Politico
“Homelessness rises in Finland for first time in over a decade.” - Helsinki Times
“Sweden: Roots of gang violence runs deeper than immigration.” - Baltic Sentinal
“Russian fertiliser exports continue flowing through Finland.” - Yle
“Norway: Land of Geopolitical Surprises.” - CEPA
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Putin’s Invasion
U.S. President ‘effectively surrendered to Putin before the negotiations have even begun’
(Huffington Post)
“John Bolton, former national security advisor to President Donald Trump during his first term in office, said it’s already clear where negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine are headed. … Bolton called those concessions a “complete reversal of the U.S. position” and a victory for Putin.”
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“Putin doesn’t wanna negotiate with Zelenskyy. He wants to negotiate with Trump because he thinks he’ll get more out of him, and he’s absolutely right,” Bolton said.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-bolton-trump-putin-ukraine_n_67ad6c52e4b0498c1a8f4b68
The U.S. President has already delivered a win for Russia
By Ian Garner, The New Statesman
“… three years of war have brought little benefit to Vladimir Putin. In exchange for hundreds of thousands of casualties and an economy on the brink, Russia now possesses a chunk of territory in the east of Ukraine. That return hardly compares to the grandiose dream of seeing Russian troops marching triumphant through the streets of Kyiv. However, Donald Trump now seems to be on the verge of handing his Russian counterpart a trove of long-term diplomatic and strategic wins – and a much bigger, spiritual victory.”
https://www.newstatesman.com/world/europe/ukraine/2025/02/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-russia-ukraine
‘What Putin had been waiting for’ - Moscow buoyant after call with Trump
(The Guardian)
“Vladimir Putin on Wednesday achieved his most significant diplomatic breakthrough yet in a three-year war that, at times, seemed to threaten his regime. During a 90-minute call with Donald Trump, Putin felt his long-sought vision taking shape: two great powers determining Ukraine’s fate over Kyiv’s head – and that of its European allies.”
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“The call between the two leaders took place just hours after the US defence secretary told officials in Brussels that Ukraine would need to abandon its ambitions of joining Nato and accept territorial losses, in effect conceding to some of Russia’s demands even before negotiations began. … The mood in Moscow’s political circles was buoyant on Thursday morning.”
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“Now, Putin’s main focus is Trump – everyone else is irrelevant,” a foreign policy source said. “His next move is to secure a closed-door meeting with Trump, where he can further press his case.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/13/putin-trump-call-ukraine-russia-analysis
“Kremlin Insiders Say Trump Has Given Putin Greenlight to Expand the War.” - The Daily Beast
“Russian Pro-War Blogs React to U.S. Statements.” - Moscow Times
Trump-Putin conversation reminiscent of the 1938 Munich Agreement
(ERR)
“Chairman of the Riigikogu's Foreign Affairs Committee, Marko Mihkelson, said that many people have already described yesterday as a potential new Munich Agreement, the failed peace agreement between Great Britain, France and Italy with Adolf Hitler after the annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudentenland in an attempt to stop a future war. World War II started 18 months later after Hitler invaded Poland.”
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“Going into negotiations with an aggressor, like in Munich in 1938 – we know what followed. To say that reclaiming occupied territories is unrealistic and that Ukraine cannot become a NATO member — this paves the way for the aggressor to achieve its new conquest plans. It sends the message that borders can be changed by force and that might prevail over justice.”
https://news.err.ee/1609603700/mp-trump-putin-conversation-reminiscent-of-1938-munich-agreement
Zelenskyy: Europe cannot guarantee Ukraine’s security without America
(The Guardian)
“There are voices which say that Europe could offer security guarantees without the Americans, and I always say no,” said the Ukrainian president during an hour-long interview with the Guardian at the presidential administration in Kyiv. “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees,” he added.”
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“Trump has said he wants to end the war in Ukraine, but sceptics fear that a US-brokered deal could involve forcing Ukraine to capitulate to Vladimir Putin’s maximalist demands. Zelenskyy said he was ready to negotiate, but wanted Ukraine to do so from a “position of strength”, and said he would offer American companies lucrative reconstruction contracts and investment concessions to try to get Trump onside.”
“Reportedly, North Korea has supplied Russia with 200 long-range artillery systems as part of ongoing arms transfers.” - Moscow Times
“Russia's unsanctioned master of propaganda: Margarita Zhitnitskaya.” - Meduza
“Far Fewer Russians who Left in 2022 are Returning than Putin Claims and Earlier Studies Suggested.” - Paul Goble
“'It Felt Like Something Bad Was Brewing': Voices Of Russians Who Fled.” - RFERL
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