21.03.23 NEWS ... One of Ukraine's most legendary soldiers, commander of the 1st Siveria Tank Brigade, Col. Leonid Hoda tells ERR in an interview how Russian tactics have changed in the war and how Ukraine is coping. He believes that Russia has not given up its imperial plans and will turn its gaze on the Baltics sooner or later.

21.03.23 INTERVIEWS ... In an interview with ERR earlier this month, Estonian Ambassador to Finland Sven Sakkov spoke about the year 2022, which proved a seminal one for Finnish politics, post-Finlandization, Defense Minister Jyri Häkämies' three earthshaking words in 2007 — and the significance of the large number of beautiful old American cars in Finland.

10.03.23 NEWS ... Foreign policy expert Kadri Liik finds the past year's greatest change in Russian domestic politics the country going from an authoritarian state to a largely totalitarian one. Liik talks in an interview about Russia, the Ukraine war and challenges Estonia faces in today's turbulent world.

09.03.23 NEWS ... Former Isamaa leader and PM Juhan Parts tells ERR in an interview that the party's voters have mostly left for Reform and that Isamaa needs new momentum wherein different opinions are tolerated. Parts has criticism for the EU green transition elements of which he holds to be harebrained.

07.03.23 NEWS ... Popular Ida-Viru County candidate Aivo Peterson said a Russian organization paid for his trip to occupied Ukraine during which he recorded and shared campaign videos disseminating the Kremlin's talking points.

27.02.23 NEWS ... Those who fear escalation of war by supporting Ukraine need to understand that there is no risk-free option. The biggest risk of all is to let President Putin win, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with "Ukraina stuudio" on February 24.

23.02.23 NEWS ... ERR News is running a series of election interview videos in English with leading members of all the parties running on March 5.

23.02.23 NEWS ... ERR News is running a series of election interview videos in English with leading members of all the parties running on March 5.

23.02.23 NEWS ... ERR News is running a series of election interview videos in English with leading members of all the parties running on March 5.

24.02.23 NEWS ... ERR News is running a series of election interview videos in English with leading members of all the parties running on March 5.

23.02.23 NEWS ... ERR News is running a series of election interview videos in English with leading members of all the parties running on March 5.

15.02.23 NEWS ... Margus Laidre, the Estonian ambassador to Moscow who left at Russia's request, said that getting information from Russia is more difficult without a high representative in Moscow.

15.02.23 NEWS ... British journalist and security expert Edward Lucas described Russia's war in Ukraine as "history-fueled." Hghlighting Vladimir Putin's weaponization of history, Lucas discussed the importance of politicians knowing their own countries' pasts and not skirting over "the difficult bits."

13.02.23 NEWS ... Wife of imprisoned Russian opposition politician, activist and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza, Evgenia Kara-Murza, tells ERR in an interview (speaking in English) that Russians are not turning out to protest because Vladimir Putin has managed to create an air of fear by using violence against dissidents over the last 20 years.

08.02.23 NEWS ... Kaupo Rosin, director of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service (EFIS), told ERR in an interview that putting together the 2024 state budget will be a huge challenge for Russia if the war continues long into this year.

08.02.23 NEWS ... CEO of Tallinn Airport Riivo Tuvike said on the "Esimene stuudio" talk show that Tallinn Airport will have to hike airport fees again as early as next year.

07.02.23 NEWS ... Col. Mati Tikerpuu, commander of the EDF's 2nd Infantry Brigade, told ERR in an interview that if Estonia wants to boost the level of preparedness of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, tasked with defending Southern Estonia, the unit needs to be able to set up its weapons where it is based.

07.02.23 NEWS ... Complicated talks with Turkey have dampened neither the Swedish government's desire nor the desire of the Swedish people to join NATO, that country's Foreign Minister Tobias Billström says.

06.02.23 NEWS ... A corrupt official stealing humanitarian aid is an enemy just like a Russian who shows up to kill people, Azov Regiment fighters codenamed Diplomat and Walter told ERR in an interview. The men are critical of the authorities for failing to sufficiently prepare the population for widespread war in Ukraine.

03.02.23 INTERVIEWS ... In a lengthy interview with ERR News, the mayor of Narva Katri Raik discusses her vision for Narva's future, while the city's identity as a "bridge" between Russia and the West is collapsing. Rebranding the city as the beginning, not the end, of Europe is challenging, she says. Raik also talks about her passion for writing and the history of Narva.

30.01.23 NEWS ... Estonia and the European Commission should work together to find a definition of hate speech that Estonia can adopt into law, Vera Jourova, European commissioner for values and transparency, said in an interview last week.

11.01.23 INTERVIEWS ... After 30 years, Estonia's words carry just as much weight as those of France and Germany within the European Union, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) said in an end-of-year interview, while speaking about the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and the future.

07.01.23 NEWS ... The state has begun to develop a legal basis for the transfer of frozen Russian assets in Estonia. While appropriating these might seem like an attractive way to help Ukraine, international law does not in general permit this, professor of international law and security at Tallinn University Tiina Pajuste said in an interview with ERR, which follows in its entirety.

03.01.23 NEWS ... The energy sector in Estonia is one whose decisions must be based on long-range planning, meaning any substantive change in direction will take at least five to ten years, Eesti Energia's board chair to be, Andrus Durejko, said in an interview with ERR's radio news, which follows in its entirety.

31.12.22 NEWS ... A shared history and close ties have seen Estonians be much more receptive of Ukrainian refugees when compared to those granted temporary protection before. This has sometimes caused a twinge of pain, Anu Viltrop, head of support services at the Estonian Refugee Council, admits in an interview to ERR.

27.12.22 NEWS ... Believing that everyone who is against Russian President Vladimir Putin is on our side amounts to making a big mistake in Estonia and elsewhere, Estonian Ambassador to Russia Margus Laidre told ERR in an interview. He added that the Ukraine war will not end for as long as Putin remains in power.

24.12.22 NEWS ... You can be for peace when the war is over, said Estonian President Alar Karis in an end-of-year interview. Karis said, that in a democratic country, it is important to tolerate different opinions, as long as they do not incite war.

19.12.22 NEWS ... Veteran Reform Party politician Heiki Kranich, who has decided not to run in the 2023 general elections, told ERR in an interview that smaller partners bear no responsibility in ruling coalitions formed on an unequal basis. The MP suggested this is why Reform often plays to role of kindergarten teacher in its governments, adding that Reform are labeled arrogant by those for whom the lead role is unattainable.

14.12.22 NEWS ... German Ambassador Anette Klein says in an interview that while the unprovoked and illegal attack of Russia against Ukraine and its implications take up most of her attention in Estonia, the West's response needs to be coordinated, which is a strong point of Ukraine support.

05.12.22 NEWS ... Isamaa veteran Tunne Kelam (86) tells ERR in an interview that he is running in the electoral district made up of Võru, Valga and Põlva counties to help his party and is prepared to join the Riigikogu again if elected. The former European Parliament member says that Isamaa is the only Estonian party to represent national core values, not populism, like EKRE.

03.12.22 NEWS ... Tallinn University docent of political sociology Mari-Liis Jakobson told Vikerraadio in an interview that of 200 countries in the world, just 35 are fully liberal democracies today, and that global democracy has been on a downward spiral in recent years.

01.12.22 NEWS ... CEO of Estonian oil shale chemistry company Viru Keemia Grupp (VKG) Ahti Asmann said on the "Esimene stuudio" talk show that securing funding for developing fossil fuels has become all but impossible, which is why VKG plans to split in two to be able to finance climate neutral business directions. VKG would scrap plans for a bioproducts factory if Estonia slashes logging volumes.

30.11.22 INTERVIEWS ... On Saturday, Section 25, one of the last original ensembles from the legendary Factory Records, an important driving force of the "Madchester" music scene in Manchester, England, will perform at Sveta bar in Tallinn. Vin Cassidy, one of the members of the duo, spoke to Estonian DJ Sander Varusk about memories of Factory's glory days and legacy, collaboration with the one and only Ian Curtis, changes to their sound and getting sampled by Kanye West.

30.11.22 NEWS ... Minister of Finance Annely Akkermann said that even though she does not support other ministers' proposals to allocate sums directly and without a competition, she had no choice but to forward the proposals to the Riigikogu.

25.11.22 INTERVIEWS ... Parempoolsed is Estonia's newest political party, having only been incorporated in October, and will be contesting its first ever election next spring.

21.11.22 NEWS ... Bolder borrowing during the Covid crisis did not end in disaster, and it is good borrowing is no longer seen as an ideological taboo in Estonia, Rainer Kattel, professor of innovation and public administration at the University College London, told ERR in an interview. He sees Russia's war in Ukraine and supply chain disruptions caused by Covid as the main causes of inflation.

10.11.22 NEWS ... In an interview with ERR on Wednesday, Estonian Center for Defense Investment (ECDI) Director Magnus-Valdemar Saar said that what weapons the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) will be able to fire at Nursipalu Training Area in the country's southeast following a planned quadrupling of its size will ultimately depend on the agreements reached with local residents. The exact details of the expansion will be settled over a matter of years.

08.11.22 NEWS ... The thing with the greatest potential to bring down energy prices would be the Ukraine war ending, President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde tells ERR in an interview. She says that the ECB has been working on containing inflation since last December, while the decisions take time to manifest.

04.11.22 NEWS ... The European Central Bank (ECB) will raise interest rates until Eurozone inflation drops to 2 percent, ECB President Christine Lagarde said during a visit to Tallinn on Friday. She hinted that further rises are in the pipeline.

04.11.22 INTERVIEWS ... The structure of research funding in Estonia forces scholars to view each other as rivals and discourages dialogue, says Tiina Kirss, an American-born literary scholar who has taught at universities in Estonia. In an interview with ERR's Novaator, Kirss discussed her long-standing interest in traumatic memory and women's studies, as well as her mother's dramatic escape on a war refugee ship.

29.10.22 INTERVIEWS ... Tarmo Kink, who resigned as FCI Levadia Tallinn's Sporting Director at the beginning of October, has spoken at length about the incident that led to his departure from the club, in the latest episode of the documentary series "For Victory: FCI Levadia" (Võidu nimel: FCI Levadia).

26.10.22 NEWS ... Estonia's outgoing spymaster and incoming State Forest Management Center (RMK) director Mikk Marran sheds light on speculations that have been rife surrounding his decision to quit and takes a look back at the last seven years in an interview with ETV's "Pealtnägija."

25.10.22 INTERVIEWS ... The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the two-year ban imposed on Estonian Greco-Roman wrestler Heiki Nabi in 2021 for doping offenses. However, the CAS also ruled that Nabi had been an unfortunate victim in the case, stressing that he could not be considered a cheat or willing user of performance enhancing substances.

20.10.22 NEWS ... Metropolitan Eugene of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (MPEÕK) told ETV investigative news program "Pealtnägija," that the church is against all wars. However, when asked whether a specific war can be considered just or not, he was unable answer. According to Metropolitan Eugene, the church does not get involved in political issues and tries to distance itself from judging events.

19.10.22 FEATURE ... After running a survey on social media to figure out expats' favorite coffee places in Tallinn, ERR News contributor Svetlana Štšur decided to deep dive into the coffee world with Jozo, an expat and professional barista from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

17.10.22 NEWS ... Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) tells ERR in an interview that the initiative signed last week to create an integrated European air defense system could end up protecting Estonia from ballistic missiles, while the entire project's time frame is five or six years.

13.10.22 NEWS ... Director General of the Estonian Competition Authority Evelin Pärn-Lee said that the terms and conditions for LNG terminal use could be made public in the coming days. The text makes no mention of Estonian or Finnish companies receiving preferential treatment. Such favoring treatment, as agreed upon by the ministers of both countries, may need to be codified in law.

10.10.22 NEWS ... The supervisory board of RB Rail, that is handling Rail Baltic project work for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, has repeatedly told the management board to agree on realistic design deadlines. Kristjan Kaunissaare, project coordinator for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, said that Estonia has a backup plan should the joint company not be up to the task.

09.10.22 NEWS ... Ukraine's military successes, discordance in Russia's partial mobilization and the Saturday attack on the Kerch Bridge all pile on the likelihood that tensions in Moscow will escalate into a major power struggle, Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee, told "Aktuaalne kaamera" news on Saturday.

07.10.22 POLITICS ... Professor of Microbiology and Virology at the University of Tartu Irja Lutsar has thrown her hat in with the Eesti 200 party and will run at next spring's general election.