MS Estonia: A 13 foot gash amidship was recently found
Estonia vrakil tehtud avastus toob põhimõttelise muutuse
Mihkel Kärmas, ERR
“Ametlik versioon ütleb, et äsja taasiseseisvunud riigi nime kandnud laevale said saatuslikuks lihtsalt öeldes vöörivisiiri konstruktsiooni viga ja halb ilm. Teinud ära tohutu taustatöö, järeldasid dokumentalistid, et vastuolusid ametliku versiooniga on mitmeid, millele selgitusi ilma vee alla minemata ei saa. …”
https://www.err.ee/1141398/pealtnagija-estonia-vrakil-tehtud-avastus-toob-pohimottelise-muutuse
“Helme parvlaev Estonia hukust: avalikkusele on 26 aastat valetatud.” - Pealinn
Estonia dokumentaali must materjal andis Eesti teadlastele järeldusainest
(Postimees)
“Ühegi stsenaariumi korral ei saa nähtava kahjustuse suurus olla põhjus, miks laev meile teadaoleva ajavahemiku jooksul uppus,» oli teadlaste järeldus. … Teadlaste sõnul mõlgi ja läbitungimiskahjustuse omadused ei ole tüüpilised ei lõhkeavale ega ka inimese tehtud lõikeavale. Teadlastele tundus ebatõenäoline, et kahjustus oleks tekkinud kokkupõrkest merepinnal.”
✔︎ “Pealtnägija” - ETV uudised programm
“Estonia: Funnet Som Endrer Alt” - Dplay, log-in required
(“Estonia: The Find That Changes Everything.”)
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| Screenshot: ETV’s “Pealtnägija” news program |
Hole discovered in hull of MV Estonia
(The Guardian, UK)
“Numerous theories about the cause of the sinking have circulated for years, none of them proven as of yet. … In a joint statement on Monday, Estonian, Swedish and Finnish foreign ministers announced they would “assess the new information”.
“Head of MS Estonia investigation: Estonia sank on collision with submarine.” - ERR
“Initiator of the investigative committee in 2005: Sweden has not been honest with us.” - ERR
✔︎ “The 1997 Joint Accident Investigation Commission report of MV ESTONIA.”
Documentary Casts Doubt on Official Finding in 1994 Ferry Disaster
(New York Times)
“After the Estonia sank in a storm off Finland, investigators said that a bow door had been bashed in by heavy seas. But a new series has raised disturbing fresh details.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/world/europe/estonia-ferry-disaster-documentary.html
“Dokseriaali autor: laevad lihtsalt ei upu, kui keres pole auku.” - Postimees
“Government prepares for further investigation into Estonia ferry disaster.” - ERR
“3 countries to assess new info about 1994 ferry sinking.” - Washington Post
“Hole discovered in hull of ferry that claimed 852 lives.” - The Local (Sweden)
“Swedish documentary: Hole probably not from an explosion.” - Yle (Finland)
“Lifting MS Estonia not on the agenda.” - ERR
Eesti Koroonakaart
(Estonia COVID info)
https://www.koroonakaart.ee/et
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Friday 2. October
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Estonian military funding planned to reach 2.29% of GDP
(BNN)
“The Estonian national defence development plan is about the period of 2017 to 2026, and a long-range coastal defence system is also to be financed from a separate, additional funding.”
https://bnn-news.com/estonian-military-funding-planned-to-reach-2-29-of-gdp-217343
Estonia moves to fortify its coastline with missiles and sea mines
(Defense News)
“The idea is to find ways of better protecting the Baltic country’s 1,242 kilometers of coastline, which totals 3,800 kilometers in length when counting its islands, according to officials. The project is included in a list of modernization efforts in Estonia’s €645 million ($760 million) defense budget for 2021, amounting to roughly 2.3 percent of gross domestic product, approved by the government this week.The coastal defense program is on top of the regular defense budget approved through 2026, the government said in a statement.”
“The Baltic states cannot imagine their security without the US involvement, says Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.” - Baltic Times
“Kas kaitseväe uus automaat on tõesti Rahe või pigem Reha?” - Postimees
China’s Influence Activities in Estonia
By Frank Jüris, ICDS
“Today, three former government ministers work for Powerhouse, which offers lobbying services for the Chinese company, Huawei. To a large extent, China’s influence activities in Estonia have so far gone unnoticed. This article aims to fill this gap.”
Lõunast tulev suurpõlengute suits muutis Eestis päikseloojangud roosaks
(Postimees)
“Viimastel päevadel Lõuna-Venemaa ja Ida-Ukrainas aset leidnud ulatuslikud maastikupõlengud on põhjuseks, miks meie taevas on muutunud väga hämuseks ja päikseloojangud roosaks.”
“Katastroof Venemaal hägustas Pärnumaa taevast.” - Postimees
Russian journalist Irina Slavina sets herself on fire after police search property; seized notebooks, laptop
(The Guardian)
“Prior to her self-immolation, Irina Slavina wrote on her Facebook page: “I ask you to blame the Russian Federation for my death.” Slavina worked as editor-in-chief at Koza Press, a small local news outlet that advertised itself as having “no censorship, no orders ‘from above’”.”
“Vene ajakirjanik pani end protesti märgiks põlema ja suri.” - Lõunaeestlane
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Thursday 1. October
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Eesti esitas president Kaljulaidi OECD peasekretäri kandidaadiks
(Postimees | Delfi)
“Eesti suursaadik OECD juures Clyde Kull andis täna üle dokumendid, millega Eesti esitab enda kandidaadiks OECD järgmise peasekretäri kohale president Kersti Kaljulaidi.”
https://www.postimees.ee/7075907/eesti-esitas-president-kaljulaidi-oecd-peasekretari-kandidaadiks
—
“Estonia proposes President Kersti Kaljulaid as next OECD secretary general.” - ERR
“OECD” - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
NATO and the 5G challenge
(NATO Review)
“With the arrival of 5G networks, mobile communications will morph into a radically different model centered on high density, large volume, extremely high speed (20x), low latency or delay in data transfer (10x) and power efficiency. … In the future, for NATO in particular, it will be of central importance to exploit these new technological opportunities for command and control, communications, as well as for other purposes. Without 5G communications, it will be difficult to fully exploit big data, artificial intelligence and cloud computing on the battlefield.”
https://www.nato.int/docu/review/articles/2020/09/30/nato-and-the-5g-challenge/index.html
“NATO and UN Need Some Serious Updates.” - Real Clear World
Yury Orlov, who Used Helsinki Final Act to Organize Soviet Dissent and Help End the USSR, Dies at 96
By Paul Goble
“The Helsinki Final Act played a critical role in leading to the end of the division of Europe and the demise of the USSR, an especially remarkable outcome because Moscow assumed that it marked the West’s recognition of a Soviet sphere of influence and of the borders Stalin had established for that country at the end of World War II.”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2020/10/yury-orlov-who-used-helsinki-final-act.html
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Wednesday 30. September
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Arvamus: Valupunkt riigikogu peeglis
Ülle Harju, Postimees | paywall
“Kui paljud riigikogu liikmetest on end viinud võimaluste piires kurssi teemaga, mille üle neil varsti hääletada tuleb? Kes tunnetavad, et ühiskond soovib olulises küsimuses teada nende seisukohta ja vastavad palutud ajaks?”
Baltic Sea nations agree to harness wind power
(Radio Poland)
“Poland, Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden signed the "Baltic Declaration for Offshore Wind Energy,” which seeks to speed up the development of wind power facilities in this part of Europe.”
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7785/Artykul/2592797,Baltic-Sea-nations-agree-to-harness-wind-power
“The Baltic Sea Declaration.” - BaSOF Document
French President Emmanuel Macron’s Baltic Visit
(Jamestown Org.)
“The French president’s visit to Lithuania (and his meeting with Latvia’s President Krisjanis Karins on the same trip) aimed to reassure these Baltic allies but also to proselytize Macron’s own agenda for a European security order with Russia’s participation … In this broad context, Macron seems to perceive an opportunity in Belarus to score a double goal: first, reassure the Baltic States and Poland by helping to dislodge Alyaksandr Lukashenka, now perceived as Russia’s protege, from the presidency of Belarus; and second, potentially the main prize, rehabilitate Russian President Vladimir Putin in the eyes of European public opinion by convincing him to push Lukashenka out and give Russia’s blessing to free elections in that country.”
https://jamestown.org/program/belarus-a-blip-russia-looms-large-on-macrons-baltic-visit-part-one/
Part 2:
https://jamestown.org/program/belarus-a-blip-russia-looms-large-on-macrons-baltic-visit-part-two/
“Macron goes to Vilnius.” - CEPA
“Cooperation with Russia necessary for long lasting peace, Macron says in Vilnius.” - Baltic Times
“On Baltic trip, French president urges Continent to regain strategic independence.” - Politico-Europe
“Macron kutsus Eestit valeinfo vastu võitlema. Ratas keeldus EKRE-le viidates.” - Delfi
“EKRE behind Estonia refusal to sign Macron statement.” - ERR
The EU is adrift and in search of an anchor
(The Spectator)
“The problem for the EU after Brexit is that it is left with just one serious international power — France — with a real army and strategic nuclear weapons whose ambition to speak for the EU is almost unbound.”
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-eu-is-adrift-and-in-search-of-an-anchor
Russia’s Military Strength Now at Post-Cold War Peak, Report Says
(Bloomberg)
“After more than a decade of investment and reform, Russia’s troops are better equipped and more professional than their predecessors, according to “Russia’s Military Modernization: An Assessment,” a report published on Wednesday by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.”
“An introduction to Russia's military modernisation.” - IISS (Ad)
“The Russian military and COVID-19.” - Riddle
“Kremlin Orders 2-Week Virus Quarantine for All Putin Visitors.” - Moscow Times
Foreign Policy for the Day After Trump
(Foreign Affairs)
“The country has a narrowing window in which to reconfigure its foreign policy to ensure that it remains mighty even though it is no longer the uncontested superpower. If it fails to transform its foreign policy approach, the United States will find itself weaker in the face of great-power rivals and borderless threats and less able to guarantee its own security and prosperity. This necessary evolution will require Washington to eschew post–Cold War hubris, with its grandiose claims of liberal universalism. Instead, U.S. officials must advance an affirmative vision for an international order that allies and partners can embrace—one that we have called an “open world.” …”
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2020-09-30/foreign-policy-day-after-trump
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Tuesday 29. September
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Toomas Hendrik Ilves joins prominent Facebook critics to form an independent oversight board
(Estonian World)
“The group does not have any authority over Facebook, but it says, according to the AP, that it was started to sound the alarm about Facebook’s role in the coming election in the United States.”
Finnish reporter lost Women of Courage award for criticising Trump
(The Guardian)
“The US state department “owes an apology” to Finnish journalist Jessikka Arowho saw the International Women of Courage Award, bestowed in part for her work on Russia, taken away because she criticised Donald Trump on social media.”
“US State Department Misled Public, Congress About Revoking Journalist’s Award for Criticizing Trump.” - Foreign Policy
It Will Take More Than A Biden Victory To Solve Nato’s Strategic Malaise
(War on the Rocks)
“Instead of ushering in a return to “normal,” a Biden team should pursue bold reforms that will help prepare the alliance for the reemergence of near-peer adversaries like China. To regain the strategic agility needed to confront state-based threats, kinetic and nonkinetic alike, the transatlantic alliance must shed existing security commitments like stability assistance and counter-terrorism missions. NATO should focus instead on restoring its core competency as a collective defense alliance. …”
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Belarus
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Belarus announces retaliatory sanctions against Baltic states
(BNN)
“The lists contain the names of about 100 officials from each country banning them from entering Belarus BelTA wrote.”
https://bnn-news.com/belarus-announces-sanctions-against-baltic-states-217337
“Belarus announces retaliatory sanctions against the EU.” - Euronews
“Minsk orders Lithuanian and Polish diplomats out of Belarus.” - LRT
Belarusian Cossacks - An Option for Putin?
(Jamestown Org.)
“It’s worth remembering that the Cossacks played an important role in the annexation of Crimea and remain a force for destabilizing Ukraine even today (see EDM, March 18, April 16, June 30). In Crimea, the presence of supposedly “native” Cossack forces was sufficient grounds for Moscow to sneak in Cossacks from neighboring Krasnodar to provide civil and military assistance to Russian forces.”
https://jamestown.org/program/belarusian-cossacks-an-option-for-putin/
Belarus Opposition Leader Takes Risky Diplomatic Path
(Moscow Times)
“Once a political novice, Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is joining Europe's diplomatic big leagues but risks undermining her own cause in the process …”
“Лидер белорусской оппозиции встает на тропу рискованной дипломатии.”
Belarus Protesters Use High-Tech Tools To Expose Riot Police
(RFERL)
“… artificial intelligence can be used to unmask law enforcement officers involved in the violent crackdown on protesters since the disputed August 9 reelection of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has led Belarus since 1994.”
Tech Army Set Up by Europe’s Last Dictator Turns on Its Creator
(The Daily Beast)
“An army of 30,000 tech-savvy professionals is turning against its creator. Coders and software engineers, many of whom are linked to the state-sponsored Hi-Tech Park in Minsk, have formed a hacking collective called Cyber Partisans which is wreaking havoc as Lukashenko tries to quell a growing revolution.”
Belarusian Women’s Political Evolution
(Visegrad Insight)
“… women have taken a particularly palpable role in the mass protests against Alexander Lukashenko.”
—
“The women at the executive branch never played a huge role in Belarusian politics. Women’s highest positions in the Belarusian state bodies never reached higher than the minister of education, health or labour issues and the head of the president’s administration. In other words, no key strategic ministerial positions connected with military, defence and foreign relations have ever been held by women.”
https://visegradinsight.eu/women-belarus-beauty-queens-freedom-fighters/
Planning for Belarus After Lukashenko
(Carnegie Europe)
“As the crisis intensifies in Belarus, how should the EU prepare to help the country transition politically?”
https://carnegieeurope.eu/2020/09/30/planning-for-belarus-after-lukashenko-pub-82824
“Podcast: What Does the Future Hold for Belarus?” - Carnegie Moscow
Why Putin Does Not Want To Annex Belarus
(Warsaw Institute)
“Regardless of what might be either illusionary or real plans of the Russian and Belarusian leaders to unify the two countries, polls found that the idea enjoys limited popularity, notably in Belarus.”
https://warsawinstitute.org/putin-not-want-annex-belarus/
“Why the experts think Belarus isn't going to be Putin's next Ukraine.” - CBC
“Путин: «Беларусь оказалась в условиях беспрецедентного внешнего давления»” - Moscow Times
“What Russians Think About Belarus.” - RFERL
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