Paul Goble, whose articles have been frequently linked to on EstoNews for many years, is suspending his ‘Window on Eurasia’ blog.
His statement is as follows:
“Because of a deterioration in my health, I am compelled to suspend preparation of the Windows on Eurasia series. I do not know when or even if I will be able to resume. After more than 17 years and 20,000 windows, I want all of my readers to know how grateful I am to them for all that I have learned from them. My best regards to all for the future.”
Paul Goble, 22. October 2021
NB! - Mr. Goble has been decorated by the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for his work in promoting Baltic independence and the withdrawal of Russian forces from those formerly occupied lands. - Jamestown Org.
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Olustvere mansion photo:
https://paranull.blogspot.com/2019/10/olustvere-mois.html
Correction: In last week’s emailed newsletter President Karis’ name had been misspelled. My error. The on-line version is correct:
https://estonewsoftheweek.blogspot.com/2021/10/alar-karise-was-sworn-in-on-monday-11.html
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COVID in the Baltics
- 1,324 in Estonia ⬆️ (1,061 last week)
- 3,133 in Latvia ⬆️ (2,142 last week)
- 2,939 in Lithuania ⬆️ (2,736 last week)
(BNN)
“Koroonaviiruse andmestik.” - Eesti Terviseamet
Estonian government agrees on new COVID-19 crisis resolution measures
(Kriis.ee)
“The Government agreed, in principle, on new control measures and support to help the overwhelmed hospitals and better contain the epidemic spread of the coronavirus. Additional control measures will be established temporarily from Monday, 25 October to 10 January 2022.”
https://www.kriis.ee/en/news/government-agrees-new-covid-19-crisis-resolution-measures
“Valitsus leppis kokku uutes COVID-19 kriisi lahendamise meetmetes.” - Kriis.ee
“Baltic states remain Covid hotspot.” - Latvian Broadcasting
“Finland: Covid-19 among unvaccinated at “staggering” level.” - Helsinki Times
“Latvia announces month of restrictions including curfew.” - The Guardian
“Moscow prepares for a return to lockdown as covid cases and deaths soar.” - Washington Post
Friday 22. October 2021
EKRE chairman: I dream of Riigikogu majority
(ERR)
“Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) chairman Martin Helme told ERR that he would like for his party to achieve absolute majority in the Riigikogu and that the political situations in Hungary and Poland are excellent.”
—
[Note: Hungary and Poland appear to be turning away from democracy.]
https://news.err.ee/1608376703/ekre-chairman-i-dream-of-riigikogu-majority
“Radosław Sikorski: Poland is on the path of Hungary and Russia.” - The New Statesman
Kas USA ja Euroopa lähevad lahku?
(Postimees | WSJ)
“USA jõulistest vastuväidetest hoolimata viis Saksamaa lõpule torujuhtme Nord Stream 2, tsementeerides oma sõltuvuse Vene energiast ning nõrgestades piirangurõngas Ukraina demokraatiat. Keset kiirelt kerkivaid energiahindu pole Vladimir Putin kõhelnud toda torujuhet poliitilise relvana kasutamast. Samal ajal on Saksamaaga liitunud Prantsusmaa, et koos suruda läbi leplikumat Vene-poliitikat, kui USA ning enamik Kesk- ja Ida-Euroopa riike aktsepteerida võivad. …”
Saaremaal taheti ajalooliste talude nimed ära muuta
(ERR)
“Saaremaa talu sai hiljuti kirja, milles öeldi, et ajalooliste talude või kinnistute nimed tuleb ära muuta, sest maa-ameti hinnangul ei vasta need uuele aadressandmete määrusele. Taluomanike pahameele ja Eesti Keele Instituudi soovituste tõttu jäi plaan siiski katki.”
https://www.err.ee/1608377516/saaremaal-taheti-ajalooliste-talude-nimed-ara-muuta
Lithuania - where 'biodiversity funding' means cutting down trees
(EU Observer)
“The EU Commission website proudly proclaims that "cohesion policy funding is delivering €52.5bn in EU budget investment in climate action.” But the picturesque town of Trakai in Lithuania tells a story of well-intentioned biodiversity and green infrastructure investment nearly costing its old town one-fifth of its trees. … Public procurement data show that the technical project, drafted by Trakai municipality's tenderer, envisages cutting down 451 trees and planting merely 132 saplings, mostly decorative, in their stead.”
https://euobserver.com/climate/153302
Läti lõpetab PBK edastamise
(ERR)
“Läti elektroonilise meedia nõukogu (NEPLP) tühistas neljapäeval venekeelse telekanali PBK edastamise litsentsi. Nõukogu otsus hakkab kehtima alates 26. oktoobrist 2021.”
https://www.err.ee/1608378365/lati-lopetab-pbk-edastamise
E.E.L.K. and EELK - what is the difference?
(Estonian World Review)
“During the war of independence against the German Landeswehr and the Russian Bolsheviks in 1919, Estonians pulled together their First Church Congress which saw the formation of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran-believing Church [E.E.L.K.]. The new E.E.L.K. was created by parish representatives who established a localized, “bottom up” democratic order in its 1919 Constitution. “Article 1. “The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church is a free church of the people and is administered by its own autonomous governing body.”
—
“… in April 1949, one month after the March 25 deportation of 20,000 Estonians into the Siberian Gulag, Stalin allowed the formation of the top down, authoritarian Estonian Evangelical Lutheran-like Church, [EELK], which was to help the Soviets oversee and control the subjugated population. EELK played a role similar to other Soviet organizations, reporting to the Communist Party and the NKVD [later KGB]. Youth, evangelical, and missionary work were criminalized, and Church properties were confiscated. This new EELK reported to the Council of Religious Affairs in Moscow.”
https://www.eesti.ca/eelk-and-eelk-what-is-the-difference/article58683
How the Government of Estonia is placing AI at the heart of operations
(Information Age)
“The Nordic country has been serving as one of the most innovative tech hubs globally, and is looking to advance further using AI capabilities.”
https://www.information-age.com/how-government-estonia-placing-ai-at-heart-of-operations-123497389/
Russia Is Censoring the Internet, With Coercion and Black Boxes
(New York Times)
“Russia’s boldest moves to censor the internet began in the most mundane of ways — with a series of bureaucratic emails and forms. The messages, sent by Russia’s powerful internet regulator, demanded technical details — like traffic numbers, equipment specifications and connection speeds — from companies that provide internet and telecommunications services across the country. Then the black boxes arrived. The telecom companies had no choice but to step aside as government-approved technicians installed the equipment alongside their own computer systems and servers. Sometimes caged behind lock and key, the new gear linked back to a command center in Moscow, giving authorities startling new powers to block, filter and slow down websites that they did not want the Russian public to see.”
—
“The process, underway since 2019, represents the start of perhaps the world’s most ambitious digital censorship effort outside of China.”
Thursday 21. Oct. 2021
Elektrita on tuhanded majapidamised
(ERR | Õhtuleht | Delfi)
“Elektrilevi katkestuste kaardi järgi on esimese tõsisema sügistormi tõttu elektrita majapidamisi ligi 19 000, hommikustel liiklejatel tasub ettevaatlik olla ka teele langenud puude ja okste tõttu.”
https://www.err.ee/1608378224/elektrita-on-tuhanded-majapidamised
—
https://news.err.ee/1608378302/11-000-households-still-without-power-as-storm-continues
—
—
—
https://www.delfi.ee/artikkel/94938295/fotod-uputav-tormivesi-peitis-parnu-ranna-kuulsa-muuli-ara
Suhted idanaabriga ei lase Eesti raudteel kriisist manti võtta
(Postimees)
“Seetõttu, et merekonteinerite vedu on aastaga kallinenud 7–8 korda ja laevad seisavad päevi sadamate reidil kai äärde pääsemiseks järjekorras, on Kesk-Euroopa raudteed Aasiast tulevatest veostest umbes. Logistikutel tuleb keerulises olukorras otsida kiiresti uusi alternatiive, kuidas kaup ikkagi jõuludeks Euroopasse tarnida. Soomlased haistsid kriisis oma võimalust ning haarasid sellest kohe kinni, tänu sellele on Hiinast pärit konteinerite veomahud sealsel raudteel kasvanud aastatagusega võrreldes 250 protsenti. Sama võiks toimuda ka Eestis, kuid eksperdid nendivad, et poliitilised suhted Venemaaga on paraku sellised, mis ei võimalda transiitkauba mahtu kiirelt kasvatada.”
Åland Islands mark 100 years since avoiding Finland’s conflict with Sweden
(Yle | BNN)
“President Niinistö said the demilitarisation of Åland remains important for continued stability in the Baltic Sea region. … The question of Åland's autonomy nearly resulted in an open conflict between Finland and Sweden more than a hundred years ago.”
—
NATO agrees to a new master plan to prepare for attacks on the Baltic and Black Sea regions
(Reuters | RFERL | Deutsche Welle)
“The confidential strategy, called the "Concept for Deterrence and Defense in the Euro-Atlantic Area," is aimed at preparing for attacks in the Baltic and Black Sea regions, which could include nuclear weapons and cyberattacks.”
—
https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-russia-master-plan-threat/31522140.html
—
https://www.dw.com/en/nato-defense-ministers-talking-russia-as-relations-plummet/a-59573872
German defense minister warns Europeans: Don’t detach from NATO
(Politico-Europe)
“German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has a blunt message for her European counterparts: Forget your lofty ideas about the Continent defending itself and get real. … While some European leaders have declared the chaotic U.S.-led withdrawal from Afghanistan shows Europe must be able to operate more on its own militarily, Kramp-Karrenbauer has drawn the opposite conclusion: She argues the debacle demonstrates that Europe and the U.S. need to cooperate more closely to be more effective militarily.
—
“We have to say quite openly: Without the capabilities of the Americans, we, as Europeans, would not have been able to do that,” she said.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-defense-minister-annegret-kramp-karrenbauer-eu-nato/
“EU defense ambitions should not 'duplicate' NATO.” - Deutsche Welle
NATO and the Climate Change Challenge
(Internationale Politik Quarterly)
“The security implications of global warming could be enormous. They include natural disasters triggered by extreme weather events, such as famines or floods, which endanger the political and economic stability, particularly of poorer states. Droughts or the decline in arable land could lead to bad harvests and higher food prices. Rising sea levels and the simultaneous desertification of large areas of land could trigger migration flows.”
—
“Disputes over inhabitable land or drinking water could erupt into military conflict. The melting ice caps at the North Pole are creating new sea routes and thus opening up new economic opportunities, but they could also become a new arena of political, economic, and military competition. For all these reasons, many governments have declared climate change a matter of national security. A study by the Davos World Economic Forum listed “extreme weather” and “climate failure” among the most serious risks—far ahead of cyberattacks and weapons of mass destruction.”
https://ip-quarterly.com/en/nato-and-climate-change-challenge
Putin claim: Ukraine's Western-Backed Military Development A Threat To Russia
(RFERL)
"Formal membership [of Ukraine] in NATO may not take place, but military development of the territory is already under way," Putin said during a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.”
https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-ukrain-military-threat/31523260.html
“Russia And Ukraine, The Meaning Of A Bad Status Quo.” - Worldcrunch
Wednesday 20. Oct. 2021
Poland triggers crisis for Europe
(Washington Post)
“Last week, Poland’s constitutional court, which is packed with judges loyal to the country’s illiberal ruling party, determined that the Polish constitution trumped European law in certain cases and superseded the authority of the European Union’s Court of Justice. Its judgment came amid a months-long political and legal tussle on the continent over what experts and many E.U. officials view as the right-wing Polish government’s steady assault on the country’s independent judiciary, a process that has played out in slow motion since the ruling Law and Justice party came to power in 2015. The Polish court’s decision has mammoth implications. …”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/10/20/poland-europe-dispute-analysis/
“Poland’s ‘Russian roulette’ with the EU.” - Politico-Europe
“EU summit: Respect the club rules, Poland told.” - BBC
“EU leaders lambast Poland over its challenge to union.” - Reuters
“EU stands firm in the face of Polish defiance.” - Deutsche Welle
“'Slap in the face': EU leaders ask Poland to respect EU law primacy after defiant ruling.” - Euronews
The climate activists who want Norway to end oil and gas production
(BBC)
“Young climate activists in Norway are asking European judges to stop their government allowing more drilling for oil and gas.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/science-environment-58900652
“Nineteen demands by Nordic young people to save biodiversity.” - Norden
“Does the EU Know What It Wants in the Arctic?” - National Interest
Tuesday 19. Oct. 2021
Kesk- ja Ida-Euroopa idufirmad buumivad, esirinnas on Eesti
(Postimees)
“Ehkki Eesti on üks regiooni väiksemaid riike, oleme esikohal terves Euroopas riskikapitaliinvesteeringutelt inimese kohta, idufirmadesse raha kaasamiselt, aga ka idufirmade arvu järgi inimese kohta kogu maailmas. Eestis on iga 1,048 inimese kohta üks idufirma.”
NATO Allies Fear Russia, Belarus Using Migrant Chaos to Destabilize Europe
(Newsweek)
“Since August, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland have faced a surge in new arrivals—notably from Iraq, Afghanistan, and sub-Saharan Africa—at their borders, which they say Belarus is facilitating with the support of its ally Russia.”
—
“Top diplomats from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia told Newsweek the migrant flow poses national security threats. "There is a risk," said Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, when asked about the danger of cross-border infiltration by foreign agents or people linked to terrorist organizations. "Already there have been some cases where particular people affiliated with some terrorist organizations have been identified."
How Will Moscow Use Its Energy Leverage Over Europe?
(Foreign Policy)
“Europe is in the throes of an energy crisis. Supplies of natural gas are so tight that prices are up by almost 400 percent since the start of the year. Utilities are switching to power generated from coal and even fuel oil, two of the world’s dirtiest fuels. That has some accusing Russia—which supplies 35 percent of the European Union’s gas imports—of using energy as a weapon. It didn’t help calm waters when the Russian ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, recently suggested a linkage between gas supplies and Europe’s behavior, hinting that the gas shortage could get resolved if Europe stopped treating Russia as an “adversary.”
Russia | Venemaa
Putin Ushers in New Cold War Era by Severing Russia’s NATO Link
By Anna Nemtsova, The Daily Beast
“The Kremlin kicked off the week with a historic decision to end Russia’s cooperation with NATO, strip all NATO staffers of their accreditation …”
“All accredited NATO personnel must leave Moscow by November.” - Jamestown Org.
“By Ending Its NATO Mission, Russia Seeks to Strain U.S.-Europe Ties.” - Stratfor
“The Russia-NATO Clash As Seen From Moscow.” - Worldcrunch
The Myth of Russian Decline
(Foreign Affairs)
“The Biden administration came into office with a clear and unambiguous foreign policy priority: countering a rising China. … The question of how to deal with Russia, by contrast, has taken a back seat, returning to the fore only when Russian troops amassed on Ukraine’s border in April. That crisis served as a reminder of the danger of looking past Moscow—yet by July, President Joe Biden was back to declaring that Russia was “sitting on top of an economy that has nuclear weapons and oil wells and nothing else.”
Biden is not the first American leader to think along these lines.”
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/russian-federation/2021-10-19/myth-russian-decline
Two Decades of Russian ‘Whataboutism’: A Partial Rundown
(Russia Matters)
“The discord of American politics, U.S. military engagements abroad, the English-language dark web—all these offer myriad opportunities for criticism. And Russian President Vladimir Putin took advantage of them with gusto after his June 16 Geneva summit with U.S. counterpart Joe Biden. One journalist called Putin’s deft deflection of tough questions from reporters “a masterclass in whataboutism”—which might be defined as the strategic practice of countering criticism with an accusation of wrongdoing against the criticizer, implying hypocrisy and/or disregarding circumstances that could weaken the latter charges, but not addressing the original criticism.”
—
“This tactic was frequently employed by the Soviet Union in response to Western criticism of its domestic and foreign policies, with America most often in the crosshairs.”
https://russiamatters.org/blog/2-decades-russian-whataboutism-partial-rundown
Putin’s Labyrinth: Career Stagnation in Russia’s Corridors of Power
(Carnegie Moscow)
“The path of career progression within the power vertical has stopped being predictable, and has turned into a labyrinth with no windows of opportunity offered by reshuffles.”
https://carnegiemoscow.org/commentary/85597
Russia suspends Nato mission in response to expulsion of its staff
(The Guardian | BBC | Washington Post)
“Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said staff at Nato’s mission in Moscow would be stripped of their accreditation from 1 November, and that the body could interact with Russia via its embassy in Brussels if needed, Russian news agencies reported. Nato said the eight Russians expelled last week were secretly working as intelligence officers and halved the size of Moscow’s team able to work at its headquarters. Lavrov also announced that Nato’s military liaison and information offices in Moscow would be closed.”
—
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58959386
—
Prison Revolts in Russia Growing in Number, Size and Impact
By Paul Goble, Jamestown Org.
“Russian penitentiaries and prison camps—and even their reputations for brutality—are important props for President Vladimir Putin’s regime. Few Russians want to risk harsh incarceration, and, thus, most may be more willing to go along with the Kremlin’s demands. But for such threats to work, the notion of prison brutality must remain implicit—that is, it must be something people believe but have no direct evidence for. If Russian people were to explicitly know the details of this assumed brutality, those revelations could cause the opposite of obedience—protest. To that end, the Russian authorities have worked hard to throw a veil of secrecy over the prison system, restricting access to places of incarceration and moving against prisoner rights organizations. But three developments in recent months have torn this curtain of silence, turning what goes on in prisons from a tool of social control for the Putin regime into a potential threat to its continued rule..”
https://jamestown.org/program/prison-revolts-in-russia-growing-in-number-size-and-impact/
Russia allows masssive methane leaks
(Washington Post)
“Methane, the second-most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, accounts for roughly a quarter of global warming since the industrial revolution, according to NASA. It is the chief component of natural gas. Today, the second-biggest natural gas producer is Russia, fed by the prolific Yamal region … the United States remains the world’s largest natural gas producer.”
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