Estonia's first woman PM sworn in
(ABC News)
“A new two-party coalition government has been sworn in in Estonia, and it's led by the Baltic nation's first woman prime minister since the country regained independence.”
—
“The 15-member Cabinet of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas took office after lawmakers in Estonia's parliament approved the government appointed by President Kersti Kaljulaid. Kallas, 43, is a lawyer and former European Parliament member.”
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/estonias-government-sworn-female-pm-75484265
Kallas peab taastama Eesti kaotatud sära
(Postimees)
“Mürgise paremäärmusliku Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvapartei (EKRE) poolt riigi mainele tekitatud kahju heastamine on Kaja Kallase peaministri rolli üks olulisemaid ülesandeid, leiab Leedu rahvusringhäälingu LRT vahendusel Craig Turp-Balazs.”
“Estonia’s halo has slipped. Kaja Kallas must restore it.” - LRT
Women in the Estonian government 1992-2021
(ERR)
“In Kallas' new coalition, women hold the positions of prime minister, justice, foreign, culture, education, social protection and finance ministers. But how do previous governments compare?”
—
“The first woman elected to the Estonian parliament was Emma Asson in 1919.”
https://news.err.ee/1608087229/feature-women-in-the-estonian-government-1992-2021
“Women to take almost half jobs in new government.” - Bloomberg
The new government of Kaja Kallas
(Office of the President)
[President Kaljulaid speech on the appointment of the new government of Kaja Kallas.]
What Ratas’ removal means for Estonia
(New Eastern Europe)
“Politics in Estonia is entering a phase rarely seen before in its modern history. Who might benefit from the resulting electoral reverberations? The answer lies in the Centre Party’s post-Soviet history. …”
https://neweasterneurope.eu/2021/01/26/what-ratas-removal-means-for-estonia/
“Ratas andis ameti Kallasele üle ja uue valitsuse esimene istung.” - ERR
“Estonia's first female premier to plot course back to EU's mainstream.” - Irish Times
“Kallas to European Council chief: New government will cooperate with EU.” - ER
“Ratas asub riigikogus tööle keskkonnakomisjonis.” - Postimees
_____________________
Latest COVID cases in Baltics:
- 691 in Estonia
- 931 in Latvia
- 860 in Lithuania
(BNN)
“Koroonaviiruse andmestik.” - Eesti Terviseamet
“Valitsus kiitis heaks üle-eestilised COVID-19 tõrje piirangud.” - Postimees
“Ööpäevas üle 600 nakatunu räägib puhangutest üle Eesti.” - Postimees
“Euroopa ravimiamet andis AstraZeneca vaktsiinile heakskiidu.” - ERR
“Finland to toughen entry restrictions.” - Helsinki Times
“Finland: 363 new cases, one year since Finland's first infection.” - Yle
“E.U. threatens drug companies with legal action if it doesn’t get its vaccines.” - Washington Post
“Opinion: Europe must fight for its coronavirus vaccines, and share them.” - Deutsche Welle
“What’s happening to the EU vaccine scheme? - BBC
— Friday 29. January —
Eesti looduskaitsealast sai Vene naftaäri tagahoov
(Õhtuleht)
“Pakri saari ümbritseval Natura 2000 loodusalal võtab hoogu veider ja keskkonnaohtlik äri – ühelt tankerilt kinnitatakse voolikud teise külge ja algab kümnete tuhandete tonnide plahvatusohtlike kütuste ümberpumpamine.”
Ida-Virumaa põhjavesi muutub üha soolasemaks
(Novaator)
“Tulevikus tuleb joogiveeks kasutada seal rohkem pinnavett või leida tõhusamad põhjavee veetöötlussüsteemid. Põhjus on nii geoloogias kui ka inimtegevuses.”
https://novaator.err.ee/1608088921/ida-virumaa-pohjavesi-muutub-uha-soolasemaks
Navalnõi avaldatud Putini palee dokumentaalvideo allikas elab Eestis
(ERR)
“Soome rahvusringhäälingu YLE teatel elab Aleksei Navalnõi tehtud skandaalse, väidetavalt president Vladimir Putinile kuuluva palee dokumentaalfilmi algallikas Sergei Kolesnikov Eestis.”
"Putini palee" all asub 16-korruseline punker.” - Delfi
“Blueprints reveal subterranean fortress under Putin’s palace.” - Meduza
“Source for Navalny's 'Putin palace' film resides in Estonia.” - ERR
Russia braces for second weekend of pro-Navalny protests
(The Guardian)
“They can’t put everyone in jail.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/29/russia-pro-navalny-protests
“Kremlin digs into 'tool kit of intimidation' to try to suppress Navalny supporters.” - CBC
— Thursday 28. January —
US Trains Estonia to Identify and Respond to Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction for Assassination
(US State Department)
“Experts on counter-WMD strategies from the United States and international partners provided Estonian officials the information necessary to create contingency plans, define roles and responsibilities, and foster an environment that allows authorities to conduct investigations quickly and effectively.”
—
“Russia has a particularly notorious history of using WMD to target adversaries for assassination, including using “Novichok” nerve agents in the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom in 2018 and Aleksey Navalny in Tomsk, Russia in 2020. The Soviet Union developed “Novichok” nerve agents in secret.”
Kremlin Diplomat in Narva, jumping queue, received 2nd Pfizer vaccine
(The Daily Beast)
“Yuri Gribkov cut to the front of the vaccine line in Estonia … Pfizer has cut down on the promised number of doses sent to Estonia, where 398 people have died of coronavirus. The country is still struggling to inoculate its frontline medical professionals. So far, just under 25,000 people have received the first shot, with just 4,735 having received the first and the booster.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/yuri-gribkov-top-kremlin-diplomat-says-nyet-to-russian-vaccine?via=ios
“Ida-Viru keskhaigla alustas Vene diplomaadi vaktsineerimise uurimiseks juurdlust.” - Postimees
“Kõrge Vene diplomaat sai salaja juba teise COVID-i vaktsiini.” - Delfi
RMK: Trumpkaart Metsamänguks
Ülle Harju, Postimees
“Kohalikud ei ole sageli teadlikud, et nende kodukandis raiutakse metsa.”
—
Õigeaegne info annaks kohalikele võimaluse enda huvide eest seista.”
https://leht.postimees.ee/7163477/ulle-harju-trumpkaart-metsamanguks
“Kallas: valitsus püüab lõpetada puidu põletamise Narva kateldes.” - ERR
Why is Finland’s Coldest Town Bidding to Host 2032 Summer Olympics?
(Euronews)
“The town is making the “crazy bid” to spread a serious message about the effects of climate change. The Save Salla campaign has been launched with support from Fridays for Future, the youth-led environmental movement set up by Greta Thunberg.”
Near-total abortion ban takes effect in Poland amid protests
(PRI)
https://www.pri.org/stories/2021-01-28/near-total-abortion-ban-takes-effect-poland-amid-protests
How Will Climate Change Impact US-Russian Relations?
(Russia Matter)
“As the effects of climate change grow more intense each year, attention is shifting to the inevitable geopolitical impacts of a warming planet. In 2020, Russia experienced its warmest winter on record, while the summer saw forest fires rip through Siberia like never before. At the same time, a warming Arctic has opened up previously inaccessible shipping lanes, providing Russia with new economic opportunities. … Whether climate change spells a bleak or a prosperous future for Russia, its impacts will force a change in U.S.-Russian relations, necessitating “fresh thinking” from the Biden administration, notes Fiona Hill, former senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council.”
https://russiamatters.org/analysis/expert-survey-how-will-climate-change-impact-us-russian-relations
Moscow and Minsk Hold Combat Readiness Exercises in Kaliningrad, Mainland Russia, and Belarus
(ISW)
“These exercises are likely the January 2021 iteration of the monthly joint Russo-Belarusian exercises and are intended to support Russian-Belarusian military integration at the upcoming Zapad 2021 exercises. … Russian and Belarusian forces have conducted joint military exercises on an almost monthly basis since August 2020.”
—
“Forecast: The Zapad 2021 exercises will likely support Putin’s efforts to establish a continuous Russian military presence in Belarus.”
http://www.iswresearch.org/2021/01/belarus-warning-update-moscow-and-minsk.html
“Zapad 2021 will take place in Sept. 2021.” - Pro-Kremlin TASS
“Zapad-2021 will be next year's main effort.” - Barents Observer
— Wednesday 27. January —
How the Belarus Crisis Will Impact Baltic Security
Yauheni Preiherman, Carnegie Moscow
“Keen to avoid an armed conflict on its own territory, Minsk still has a strong interest in preventing any further escalation of the tense standoff between Russia and NATO in the Baltic region. The Baltic Sea region has always been important for the preservation of peace in Europe.”
https://carnegie.ru/commentary/83734
Baltic States Rally for Change in Belarus and Russia
By Judy Demptsy, Carnegie Europe
“… the three small Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and—in particular—Lithuania, have been vocal and active in defending the peaceful protests in neighboring Belarus, where citizens for nearly six months since August 2020 have been calling for the resignation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.”
—
“The Baltic states have also unambiguously come out in support of the demonstrators in Russia, calling for the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.”
https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/83728
On Record: Biden’s Call with Putin
(The White House)
(Discussed START; arms control and emerging security issues; Biden reaffirmed the United States’ firm support for Ukraine’s sovereignty; discussed the poisoning of Aleksey Navalny; Biden declared the U.S. will act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to actions by Russia that harm us or our allies.)
Kremlin’s Men Caught Unawares by Massive Protests Outside of Moscow
Paul Goble, Window on Eurasia
“… no one expected 2500 people to demonstrate when the thermometer stood at minus 26 degrees Celsius. “This was the most massive action of the last ten years.”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/01/kremlins-men-in-regions-caught-unawares.html
“Riigikogu liikmed moodustasid Navalnõi vabastamise toetusrühma.” - Postimees
“Brave protestors in Russia and Belarus need leadership and support.” - Edward Lucas
“Noored on Putinile selga pööramas.” - Postimees
Arvamus: Kui puhkeb sõda…
Jüri Luik, kaitseminister, Postimees
“Olen viimase pea nelja aasta jooksul arendanud neid meie tegevusvaldkondi, mida pean kõige olulisemaks Eesti vastaste heidutamiseks ja kui vaja, Eesti kaitseks. Eesti on väga väike riik kõrvuti hiiglasega, meie kaitsmine on keeruline ülesanne nii intellektuaalselt kui ka praktiliselt. Meie vaenlane hindab meie moraali ja valmisolekut, suhteid liitlastega ja ettevalmistust ja siis otsustab, kas Eestiga tasub jamada või mitte.”
https://www.err.ee/1608085837/juri-luik-kui-puhkeb-soda
Parkla all oli peidus põhjasõjaeelne maailm
(Tartu Ülikool Ajakiri)
“Sellel objektil oli arheoloogidele üllatus, et säilinud müürid tulid välja peaaegu kohe pärast pealmiste asfaldikihtide eemaldamist,“ sõnab Keiti Randoja. Leidudeni jõudmine oli tema sõnul siiski ootuspärane. „Kui Tartu vanalinnas labida maasse lööd, siis on täiesti kindel, et midagi välja tuleb.“
https://www.ajakiri.ut.ee/artikkel/3940
— Tuesday 26. January —
Kaljulaid withdraws OECD candidacy
(ERR)
“… as Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.”
https://news.err.ee/1608086893/kersti-kaljulaid-withdraws-oecd-candidacy
Standard of Living Gap Between Russia’s Pskov Oblast and Baltic Countries One of Highest in World
By Paul Goble
“… for the residents of impoverished Pskov Oblast on the other side of the Russian border, they are “a window on Europe and civilization,” something that makes their current travails especially difficult to bear.”
—
“More than 20,000 residents of the oblast spent the New Year’s holidays without electric power because the network had collapsed. But the situation in healthcare is especially dire: Pskov doctors are among the most poorly paid in Russia, and “98 percent of htem are forced to combine jobs and work more than one shift.”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/01/standard-of-living-gap-between-russias.html
Rethinking Atlantic Resolve: An Alt. Model For Deterrence In Europe
(Modern War Institute)
“The paradox of Atlantic Resolve is that, while units deploy in the name of preventing future aggression, rotational forces are not postured to defeat a hostile force in the event of a new crisis in Eastern or Central Europe. The armored brigade combat teams (ABCTs) assigned to Atlantic Resolve are not integrated as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence, a forward positioning of NATO assets in Poland and the Baltic states, nor are they maneuverable forces controlled by US European Command (EUCOM).”
https://mwi.usma.edu/rethinking-atlantic-resolve-an-alternative-model-for-deterrence-in-europe/
“EDF commander: 6% of GDP on defense would fend off Russia attack.” - ERR
“Belarus will receive four new Mi-35 attack helicopters from Russia.” - Defence Blog
“U.S. Army repainting its military vehicles with a woodland green paint scheme appropriate for the Europian region.” - Defence Blog)
Tallinn-Helsinki Rail Tunnel Back on Agenda in Estonia
(BNN Bloomberg)
“Estonia’s incoming government plans to restart talks about building the world’s longest undersea rail tunnel, a move that may revive the $17 billion Chinese-backed deal.”
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/world-s-longest-undersea-rail-tunnel-back-on-agenda-in-estonia-1.1553459
Cod facing extinction in the Baltic Sea
(Copenhagen Post)
“Oxygen deficiency and starvation plaguing the fish in the eastern Baltic Sea.”
Estonia’s close cultural ties to Scotland
(The Sunday Post - Glasgow)
“The country’s first Burns Supper was held in 1994 to celebrate a whisky deal that had been brokered, and annual suppers now take place in Tallinn’s numerous Scottish pubs, as well as the exclusive members-only Scottish Club, famous for their busts of Burns and Sir Sean Connery in their lavish gardens.”
Hundreds Rally For Nalvany In Baltic States
(Urdupoint)
”Several hundred people gathered at Freedom Square in the centre of the Estonian capital Tallinn and later marched to the Russian embassy. Organisers asked participants to stand in groups of 10 people at most in order to comply with coronavirus restrictions.
Some held up portraits of Navalny, others had signs reading "Free Navalny!" and "No to Dictatorship!".
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/miscellaneous/hundreds-rally-for-nalvany-in-baltic-states-1149476.html
“Thousands across Russia rally for jailed opposition leader Navalny.” - France24
“Kaljulaid: Kremlin’s behavior shows their weakness.” - Baltic Times
Mass protests of Navalny arrest could signal new political dynamic in Russia
(CBC)
“The composition of the crowd, as well as the breadth of the protests across more than 100 Russian towns and cities, is a strong indication that Navalny's protest movement has significantly expanded its reach.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-navalny-protests-1.5886225
“The New Face of Russian Protests.” - Moscow Times
“Garry Kasparov on why this weekend’s protests may be the beginning of the end of autocracy in Russia.” - Foreign Policy
Putin Has Learned From Belarus in Handling the Navalny Protests
(Foireign Policy)
“The Russian regime has barely started to tap its vast toolkit for violence and intimidation.”
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/26/putin-navalny-russia-protests-lessons-belarus/
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