✔︎ NATO defense ministers approve the "Four Thirties” plan.
- Deutsche Welle
✔︎ Former President Ilves, politicians, journalists on Russian blacklist.
- RFERL
✔︎ Eesti poliitkud kui väärt alusmaterjal Venemaa propagandameediale.
- Propastop
✔︎ Trans-Atlantic Alliance: The new US Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, is carrying the Trump flag, stepping over the line into partisan politics. He is being seen as being the most high-profile anti-EU voice on European soil.
“We’re sending out ambassadors who openly and almost intentionally are insulting not just host governments but host publics,” said Nancy McEldowney, a former director of the Foreign Service Institute charged with training diplomats and now at Georgetown University.
- Multiple sources
- 2014-2018 Archive:
Nobe 100 foto:
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Friday 8. June
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- Arvamus: Suure Mere Strateegia
(Postimees)
"Läänemerd ümbritsevad riigid peavad tugevdama omavahelist koostööd, leiavad Eesti eelmine president Toomas Hendrik Ilves ja Soome endine peaminister Alexander Stubb. Kui eestlased ja soomlased püüavad oma rahvust iseloomustada, jõuavad nad jutujärjega sageli lõpuks sinnamaale, et viitavad mere ja kliima mõjule nende kollektiivsele tajule. Meri on meie jaoks loomulikult Läänemeri – ja see meri puudutab kokku 85 miljoni inimese elu, mis ületab kaugelt nende kahe väikese põhjamaise riigi rahvaarvu, kust me pärit oleme."
- Jonatan Vseviov on tõusmas Eesti suursaadikuks USA-s
(ERR)
- Estonia reportedly appoints new Ambassador to the US
- Vene võimud hävitavad väidetavalt tõendeid nõukogude ajal represseeritute kohta
(Delfi)
"Venemaal hävitatakse 2014. aasta salajase käsu alusel nõukogude võimu ajal represseeritute arhiivikaarte, teatas GULAG-i ajaloo muuseumi direktor Roman Romanov."
- Estonian politicians are valuable base material for Russian propaganda
(Propastop)
"In addition to Mikser and Ilves, President Kaljulaid’s statements about both her visit to Ukraine and the major exercise SIIL 2018 have also previously been noted topics as well. However, Urmas Reinsalu’s comments on the renovation or partial demolition of the Maarjamäe memorial have attracted the most attention. The stories get their own spin when individual statements of Estonian politicians are taken out of context or they are distorted in translations. …"
- Eesti poliitkud kui väärt alusmaterjal Venemaa propagandameediale
- In case of crisis, NATO lacking capability to quickly move troops
(ERR)
"Obstacles are both legal and physical in nature. More than two and a half decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of today's Europe, a military aircraft, NATO ally or not, needs a separate permit for every country it flies over. If it carries any sort of weapon or ammunition, yet more separate permits are required. Each of these involves an application procedure and wait time. The same goes for military supplies, convoys, and troops. And that is just the legal dimension."
- Interview: Former Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb
(Postimees)
"I always say thank God the Baltics are NATO. The fact that Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, but also Poland, Norway, Denmark, and of course Germany are part of NATO has created an impenetrable security umbrella over the Baltic Sea. We should be tankful in Finland and Sweden."
- Estonian, Finnish foreign ministers met in Tallinn
(ERR)
"Despite the fact that Finland is not a member of NATO, they have an important role to play in ensuring the security of the Baltic Sea region," Mikser said. "Both Estonia and Finland find that a common approach and coordination of policies between EU member states with regard to Russia must continue.”
- The average EU leader is now under 50, with populists leading a generational shift
(Politico)
[Juri Ratas is 39 yrs old.]
- EU faces Poland test
(Politico-Europe)
"The Polish case is a test whether it is possible to create a Soviet-style justice system, where the control of courts, prosecutors and judges lies with the executive and a single party, in an EU member state,” Piotr Buras of the Stefan Batory Foundation, a Polish civil society organization, and Gerald Knaus of the European Stability Initiative think tank wrIte in a joint paper. “It remains to be seen whether this can be corrected before it fatally undermines the idea of the EU as a community based on law and common values,” they add."
- Russia Secretly Orders Destruction of Gulag Prisoners’ Records
(The Moscow Times)
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The Trans-Atlantic
Alliance
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- Commentary: In U.S. and EU, illiberalism in full bloom
(Reuters)
- Opinion: The US is fueling European divisions
(Deutsche Welle)
—
- The United States and Russia Target Germany
(Carnegie Europe)
"More worrying, is that what is taking place in Europe today is, unwittingly, a collusion of interests between the Trump administration and the Kremlin. These interests are about dividing the EU. …"
- Interview: U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell
(Breitbart London)
“Mr. Grenell expressed a deep respect and admiration for the young Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, “Look, I think Sebastian Kurz is a rockstar. I’m a big fan.”
- Russia woos a Europe feuding with US over tariffs, Iran
(Christian Science Monitor)
"The United States is making life hard for Europe, both directly through new tariffs and indirectly by withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. And that is giving Russia an opening to reset its relationship with its neighbors."
- Trump Is Choosing Eastern Europe
(The Atlantic)
"Over the past week, the recently appointed U.S. ambassador to Germany, Ric Grenell, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. On June 3, Breitbart published an interview with Grenell, in which he said: “There are a lot of conservatives throughout Europe who have contacted me to say they are feeling there is a resurgence going on. I absolutely want to empower other conservatives throughout Europe, other leaders. I think there is a groundswell of conservative policies that are taking hold because of the failed policies of the left.”
- Trump’s trade war masks a darker agenda: Aiding far right in Europe
(Salon)
- U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell flies the Trumpist flag
(Washington Post)
"The ambassador gave an exclusive interview to far-right website Breitbart, an organization whose European editions hailed the rise of Trump, scare-mongered over immigrants and Islam and have long railed against Merkel and the continent's political elites."
--
"Grenell seemed to celebrate the populist “resurgence” in various corners of Europe, though he avoided specifically referring to far-right parties. And he seemed to indicate that he wanted to support their continued rise."
- Donald Trump’s Berlin whipping boy
(Politico-Europe)
"The German political establishment is horrified at almost everything US Ambassador Richard Grenell says or does."
- State Department Defends Trump’s Man in Berlin After Diplomatic Firestorm
(Foreign Policy)
- Uproar Continues Over Pro-Right Remarks By U.S. Ambassador
(NPR | others)
—
"Richard Grenell is the most high-profile anti-EU voice on European soil"
"The idea that I’d endorse candidates/parties is ridiculous,” Richard Grenell tweeted. “I stand by my comments that we are experiencing an awakening from the silent majority — those who reject the elites & their bubble. Led by Trump.”
- Germany’s Real Problem Isn’t With Trump’s Trollish Ambassador. It’s With Trump.
(Slate)
"Ambassadors are traditionally supposed to stay neutral—publicly anyway—in the domestic politics of the countries to which they are appointed. And at a time when there’s growing concern about support from Vladimir Putin’s Russia to populist parties throughout Europe, the ambassador’s suggestion that these parties are part of a global movement led by Trump is not exactly helpful."
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Thursday 7. June
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- NATO defense ministers approve new "Four Thirties” plan
(Deutsche Welle | RFERL)
"In a bid to reinforce their presence in the event of a crisis in Europe, the new "Four Thirties" initiative will enable NATO members mobilize 30 land battalions, 30 air squadrons and 30 combat vessels within 30 days. The plan will comprise of around 30,000 troops, 300 aircraft and at least 30 vessels or submarines."
—
- NATO Launches Massive Saber Strike Maneuvers In Poland, Baltics
(RFERL | others)
"NATO’s Saber Strike 18 exercises (June 3-15) involving some 18,000 troops from 19 nations have kicked off in Poland and the Baltic states, as the Western alliance looks to boost readiness on its eastern flank."
—
"USAF deploys its MQ-9 Reaper Drones to Poland."
"Israel takes part in NATO’s Saber Strike drill for first time.”
- Former President Ilves, politicians, journalists on Russian blacklist
(ERR | Postimees)
"Russia denies entry to Estonian citizens on grounds of ‘Russophobia’."
—
- Venemaa sissesõidukeelu nimekiri
(Delfi | ERR | Postimees)
"Nimekirjas on kokku 20 inimest. Valitsuse pressikonverentsil sõnas välisminister Sven Mikser, et nimekirjas on nii riigikogulasi, ajakirjanikke kui kodanikuaktiviste. Kes riigikogulastest, ta ei kinnitanud. Ta lisas: "Kolm inimest on varem kuulunud valitsuste koosseisu, aga mitte viimaste valitsuste.”
—
—
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- Opinion: Who Will Lead Europe Now?
(New York Times)
"A Russian diplomat said Vladimir Putin’s counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron of France, is now perceived in Russia “as the leader of the Western world.”
- Europe’s Vanishing Calm
(National Review)
"The sense of depression in Europe reminds one of novelist J. R. R. Tolkien’s description of the mythical land of Gondor in his epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings. Gondor’s huge walls, vaunted traditions, and rich history were testaments that it once served as bulwark of a humane Middle-earth. But by the novel’s time, the people of Gondor had become militarily and spiritually enfeebled by self-doubt, decades of poor governance, depopulation, and indifference, paradoxically brought on by wealth and affluence. …"
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Wednesday 6. June
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- Estonians Don’t Like Russians Because the Soviet Occupation Denied Them Choices, Novelist Says
By Paul Goble
(Window On Eurasia)
- Some Damn Thing in the Baltics – How a European War Could Begin
(Window On Eurasia)
- How Sweden Is Preparing For Russia to Hack its Election
(Carnegie Endowment)
"Sweden, a country of 10 million people, has good reason to take action. In 2014, it moved further from its historic position of neutrality to officially become an "enhanced partner" of Nato, which considers Russia's annexation of Crimea to be illegal.
Officials have reported an increase in hacking and dissemination of fake news. The aim, they say, is to undermine the stability of Swedish society and spread falsehoods. A study by researchers at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs reported a "wide array" of Russian actions to influence public opinion.”
- Sweden mobilises its entire volunteer army for first time since 1975
(Euronews)
- Latvia: KGB archive could be opened this year
(Latvia Broadcasting)
"The possibility of releasing information from KGB files that were left behind in Latvia after the Baltic state restored its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990 has been discussed in Latvia at regular intervals during the past years with some arguing that the former KGB agents should be exposed and others questioning the authenticity of the documents and information contained in them. Consequently while some people advocate full and immediate disclosure, others argue that to do so would cause more harm than good, with numerous nuanced positions in between."
✔︎ Estonia’s Nobe 100 is the 3-wheeled, classic-inspired EV nobody knew they wanted
(Multiple Sources)
"While the exterior design is absolutely a nod to the past, the interior isn't hiding its retro inspiration. The cockpit features two large analog gauges, slim window pillars, a metal dashboard, and an ultra-thin steering wheel. The little Nobe 100 will come with three seats. As for the powertrain, the Estonian company wants to include three electric motors (one to drive each wheel) delivering a combined 60 horsepower."
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Tuesday 5. June
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- Putin Moves to Capitalize on Europe’s Fury With Trump
(New York Times)
"Though careful not to gloat, Mr. Putin had to take great satisfaction in the recent turn of events. Often dismissed as a tactician and opportunist, he was looking more like a grand strategist as President Trump bluntly rejected European demands for an exemption from what Brussels considers illegal and unilateral tariffs on steel and aluminum."
--
"Populist, Russophile parties are in power in Greece, Hungary, Italy and Austria. The prospect of attaining Mr. Putin’s immediate goal of throwing off economic sanctions imposed by the European Union over the last several years suddenly seemed within reach, even without compromise in Ukraine."
- Putin visits his best buddy in the EU: Austria's Sebastian Kurz
(Handelsblatt)
"Austria, a neutral country that does not belong to NATO, has long seen itself as a bridge between East and West. … Mr. Putin has even called Mr. Kurz a “friend” and, given Europe’s mounting anger with Mr. Trump, the Russian leader has spotted a chance to drive a wedge between the EU and the US."
- Estonia to spend almost EUR 190 mln to enhance border with Russia
(UNIAN)
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Russia
“Trust No One"
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- Putin's 4.5-hour marathon call-in show, boiled down to two paragraphs
(Meduza)
- Full transcript in english
- The art of taking on Vladimir Putin
(Politico-Europe)
"Austrian anchorman Armin Wolf has had his share of difficult interviews. As one of the hosts of Austrian television’s nightly public affairs program, he is famous for giving the country’s elite the third-degree on live television."
--
"Wolf came to international attention this week for subjecting Vladimir Putin to that same treatment ahead of the Russian president’s state visit to Austria on Tuesday. Interviews by Western media with Putin are rare enough. What set the Austrian’s nearly hourlong chat with the Russia leader apart is that he succeeded in putting Putin on the defensive by interrupting and peppering him with tough follow-up questions on everything from troll factories to chemical attacks in Syria.”
- Transcript: Austrian ORF television channel interview with Putin
(Office of the Russian President)
- Russian State TV Attacks Austrian Journalist
(The Intercept)
"The attempt to discredit [reporter Armin] Wolf during an interview conducted on the eve of Putin’s state visit to Austria on Tuesday was also interesting because the journalist is a hate figure for members of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party, which has a formal alliance with United Russia, the president’s own party."
- Russia’s Internet Censorship
(Lawfare)
"Russia has been trying to block Telegram [a messaging app] since April, when a Moscow court banned it after the company refused to give Russian authorities access to user messages. … Since then, Telegram has been playing cat-and-mouse with the Russian telecom regulator Roskomnadzor by varying the IP address the app uses to communicate. Because Telegram isn't a fixed website, it doesn't need a fixed IP address. Telegram bought tens of thousands of IP addresses and has been quickly rotating through them, staying a step ahead of censors. Cleverly, this tactic is invisible to users. The app never sees the change, or the entire list of IP addresses, and the censor has no clear way to block them all. ..."
- Telegram: Why Russian Courts Can't Really Block The App
(Worldcrunch)
"It is Roskomnadzor, the Russian communications regulator, that was charged with shutting down Telegram - a technical process of restricting the app was begun on April 16, 2018. The actions resulted in the hindering of functions of third parties but caused almost no problems for Telegram itself. A month has passed since the moment of the blockage of Telegram but Roskomnadzor has not managed to seriously limit access to the messenger."
- Telegram: between the state and the opposition
(Riddle)
"The formal reason for the crackdown was Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s refusal to give the authorities access to users’ encrypted messages, which is technologically impossible without dramatically diluting security protocols. A much more interesting hypothesis is that the real reason for blocking the messenger is the independence and dynamism of Telegram’s channels. The Telegram community is based around reciprocal links and sectoral or ideological interrelations. Furthermore, it can be assumed that the channels attract a politicised audience that’s sceptical of the Russian authorities. … The reality is somewhat more complicated.”
- How Journalist's Faked Murder Exposed Russia’s Gangsters and Spies
by Anna Nemtsova
(Daily Beast)
"There are still questions about whether the sting operation that ‘killed’ Arkady Babchenko really helped catch criminals. But it attracted attention to a dangerous mob connection."
- Russian Senate commission has recommended a whole series of government responses to ‘Western meddling’
(Meduza)
"Armed with an underwhelming collection of evidence, the commission says “a group of pro-Western countries led by the U.S.” is constantly trying to undermine Russia and destabilize the state by various clever means and the use of NGOs and subservient media outlets (Meduza is mentioned as one of these nasty publications). At the end of the document, the authors propose a whole series of new prohibitions."
- World Cup Awareness: Five Things About Propaganda in Russia
(EU vs Disinfo)
- Opinion: Russia will use the World Cup to whitewash its war crimes
(Washington Post)
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