Skip to main menu 18.03.24 NEWS ... For some "dignity" is most important, while for others it might be "faith." For many more it's simply "love." Whatever one's personal story, these are just some of the words that have become meaningful since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They are also the focus of a new exhibition at Tallinn's Vabamu Museum by Ukrainian-Estonian artist Nikita Titov.
18.03.24 NEWS ... Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) on Monday reiterated that "Crimea is Ukraine" and said Russian President Vladimir Putin should stand trial at the International Criminal Court in a comment marking the 10th anniversary of the annexation of Crimea.
18.03.24 NEWS ... Russia's election result dispelled any illusion the West might have had of being able to negotiate with Vladimir Putin, Andrei Hvostov told Vikerraadio Monday. He added that the election result will be used to support the war and entrench the dictatorship.
18.03.24 NEWS ... "Successful Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries definitely have an impact on the events on the front line. The Russians have to consider that, due to their huge territory, there will always be more strategically important objects than there are air defense systems that can protect them," said Col. Mart Vendla deputy chief of the Estonian Defense Forces' (EDF) General Staff, on ETV show "Ukraina stuudio."
17.03.24 NEWS ... Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in an interview to BBC that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is very good at sowing fear in Western societies, while he is also afraid of finding himself at war with NATO.
17.03.24 NEWS ... Russian citizens living in Estonia can vote during the last day of Russia's so-called presidential election at the Russian Embassy in Tallinn. People started gathering around the embassy building in the Old Town a little before noon Sunday.
17.03.24 NEWS ... During the Ukraine war, the import of many food products from Russia to Estonia has increased as these products have been excluded from the European Union's sanctions packages due to food supply security considerations. It is unlikely that a broader consensus can be reached on the complete trade embargo that Estonia desires, which is why possibilities for working with neighboring countries are being discussed.
15.03.24 NEWS ... Up to 30 Estonian Defense Forces instructors will be sent to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces' new recruits in the UK as part of mission Interflex.
15.03.24 NEWS ... Russian citizens living in Estonia's border city of Narva can cross the bridge and vote in Russia's presidential elections in Ivangorod this weekend. However, the journey is longer this year as more checks are being carried out.
15.03.24 NEWS ... On Thursday (March 14), Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi awarded the Order of Merit "For supporting the Army" to Hannes Astok, chair of Estonia's e-Governance Academy (eGA), and Merle Maigre, head of the eGA's Cybersecurity Competence Center.
14.03.24 NEWS ... Fewer Russians living in Estonia may vote in Russia's presidential election this weekend, as citizens say they are afraid to cross the border to cast a ballot. Many people will also find it hard to travel to Tallinn to vote.
14.03.24 NEWS ... The Olympic committees of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have sent a joint letter to the International Olympic Committee regarding allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
14.03.24 NEWS ... Chairman of Riigikogu's Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson (Reform) has joined nearly 20 of his counterparts across Europe and North America in signing a joint statement regarding the forthcoming presidential elections in Russia, which the statement said would neither be free or fair.
14.03.24 NEWS ... The recent attack on a Russian dissident residing in Lithuania has led to those who oppose the current Moscow regime and who have sought asylum in Estonia to become more fearful, ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" (AK) reported Wednesday.
13.03.24 NEWS ... Tarmo Kärsna, head of energy sales for Alexela, told "Aktuaalne kaamera" news that Ukraine wants to influence the presidential election and residents of the Moscow area by hitting Russian oil facilities.
13.03.24 NEWS ... If Ukraine can take delivery of 800,000 artillery shells being procured from all over the world following the initiative of Czechia, it can resist pressure from Russian troops at least until autumn, MP and reserve Lt. Col. Leo Kunnas believes.
13.03.24 NEWS ... Ukraine has launched an attack campaign against Russian infrastructure, and these attacks are taking place further and further beyond Ukraine's borders, Estonian security expert Rainer Saks said Tuesday.
12.03.24 NEWS ... In a ceremony held in Tallinn on Tuesday, Permanent Secretary of the Estonian Ministry of Defense Kusti Salm and Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) Gen. Martin Herem were each bestowed the Order for Merits, 2nd Class in recognition of their significant personal contributions to Ukraine.
11.03.24 NEWS ... Security expert Rainer Saks told Vikerraadio that the stalemate in Ukraine is only seeming. In truth, both sides are suffering losses and there are events affecting the outcome of the war.
11.03.24 NEWS ... Ukraine has recently reported a number of Russian aircraft shot down or rendered unusable. With this, Ukraine may be creating conditions for the deployment of new aircraft soon to be received from the West, said Air Force Chief of Staff Col. Janek Lehiste.
08.03.24 NEWS ... The Russian Armed Forces are still holding the initiative on the ground, and the tempo of their operations have started to pick up again, said Col. Ants Kiviselg, commander of the Estonian Defense Forces' (EDF) Intelligence Center.
07.03.24 NEWS ... The Ministry of Defense has issued a directive ending the sale throughout its area of government, including all retail outlets on Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) territory, of products that continue to be available in Russia, the ministry announced Thursday.
07.03.24 NEWS ... Together with the Supreme Court of Estonia, the Estonian Center for International Development (ESTDEV) is set to invite 15 Ukrainian state judges to Estonia for training. The aim of the study visit is to support the creation of an independent judicial system in Ukraine that complies with EU practices.
06.03.24 NEWS ... Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) confirmed to Riigikogu members, that similarly to other EU countries, Estonia will not send soldiers to the war in Ukraine.
06.03.24 NEWS ... While understanding in Estonia of the climate crisis varies from person to person, climate resilience is of critical importance. Should Ukraine be accepted into the EU, then the former must be rebuilt taking climate policy objectives into consideration as well, MP Hanah Lahe (Reform) said Wednesday.
05.03.24 NEWS ... Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has been ongoing for two years now and Russia's plans have not changed, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba write, in a jointly issued opinion piece first published on the Estonian foreign ministry website.
05.03.24 NEWS ... French President Emmanuel Macron recently made waves by announcing that nothing was to be ruled out in respect of support for Ukraine. ETV show "Välisilm" caught up with H.E. Emmanuel Mignot, the Ambassador of France to Estonia, who said that Paris' attitude towards Russia has altered significantly, something which is reflected in its support for Ukraine.
04.03.24 NEWS ... The Russians have started to take more risks with the air force at the front, and this is one of the reasons why the Ukrainians have been able to shoot down 13 Russian planes in the last two weeks, former Commander of Estonian Air Force Col. Jaak Tarien said.
04.03.24 NEWS ... Eastern European countries, which joined NATO and the European Union in large numbers 20 years ago, are frustrated by the low number of representatives among the leadership of both organization, writes POLITICO. The situation could be reaffirmed in the second half of this year, when the leadership roles in both organizations change hands.
04.03.24 NEWS ... Russian losses at Avdiivka were so great that even the country's radical right stops short of calling it a victory, EDF Lt. Col. Toomas Väli said on "Ukraina stuudio."
02.03.24 NEWS ... Europe needs to take a "bigger, stronger and more aggressive role" in its support for Ukraine, Ministry of Defense Permanent Secretary Kusti Salm said on Friday, but said things will get worse before they get better. He said western countries only need to allocate 0.25 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) to Ukraine to allow it to win the war.
28.02.24 NEWS ... Speakers of the parliaments of 19 European countries have sent a joint letter to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson. They urge him to undertake efforts to support Ukraine and to make a historic decision to provide Ukraine with the necessary funds to continue its fight against Russia, which is waging a war of aggression.
28.02.24 NEWS ... French President Emmanuel Macron's statement, in which he considered it possible to send Western troops to the war in Ukraine, can be deemed immoral, but successful populism, said security expert and former senior defense ministry official Meelis Oidsalu.
28.02.24 NEWS ... In making his decisive statements relating to the war in Ukraine, President of France Emmanuel Macron wants to take on a lead role in the European Union, given the relative weakness shown by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, former diplomat Harri Tiido said Wednesday.
28.02.24 NEWS ... European leaders' talk in Paris earlier this week, of potential ground troops in Ukraine, constituted a message to Russia that the continent is ready to conrtibute in concrete terms, security expert and reserve Maj. Gen. Neeme Väli said Wednesday.
27.02.24 NEWS ... Estonia is not discussing sending ground forces to Ukraine, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) said on Tuesday, after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested this scenario could not be ruled out. However, if they were sent, they could be used to backfill or train Ukrainian troops, a researcher has suggested.
27.02.24 NEWS ... The situation along the front in Ukraine is absolutely critical, with Russia bearing down on the front with its mass in several directions, Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee chair and MP Marko Mihkelson (Reform) said on a visit to the front area this week, calling on Western powers to quickly send Ukraine weapons and ammunition.
27.02.24 NEWS ... Public discussion about sending Western soldiers to Ukraine causes great concern in the Kremlin, said Indrek Kannik, director of the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS), in response to comments from French President Emmanuel Macron. He does not think this step could lead to an attack on NATO countries.
27.02.24 NEWS ... French President Emmanuel Macron's latest talk of not ruling out sending Western troops to Ukraine is not realistic, and comes off more as wanting to show himself in contrast with the cautious Olaf Scholz as a courageous European leader, said former commander of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) and MEP Riho Terras (Isamaa/EPP).
27.02.24 NEWS ... An Estonian-registered company was included in the latest United States sanctions list released last Friday, daily Postimees reports, on the grounds that its activities are beneficial to the Russian war machine.
27.02.24 NEWS ... Estonia's ambassador to NATO Jüri Luik compared the current situation in the war between Russia and Ukraine to that of two tired boxers, neither of whom can make a decisive breakthrough. At the same time, Luik stressed that holding the current frontline is not guaranteed for Ukraine and that urgent Western assistance is needed.
27.02.24 NEWS ... In an interview with regional paper Põhjarannik, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) admitted that opposition from the Social Democrats (SDE) has made it difficult for the ruling coalition to move forward with stripping Russian and Belarusian citizens of the right to vote in Estonia's municipal elections. The hope is for additional backing from two opposition parties.
27.02.24 NEWS ... Russa is a dangerous place for Russians and foreigners alike, U.S. Ambassador to Estonia George P Kent said during an interview with "Välisilm". The diplomat said he is confident the U.S. support package for Ukraine will be passed, and discussed U.S.-Estonia relations, Donald Trump, and NATO.
26.02.24 NEWS ... Hundreds of people gathered in Tallinn's Freedom Square (Vabaduse väljak) on Sunday to show support for Ukraine and condemn Russia's military aggression.
26.02.24 NEWS ... Indirect fire is the main cause of casualties in Ukraine where the situation remains arduous, Col. Eero Rebo, head of the Defense League Headquarters, told Vikerraadio.
25.02.24 NEWS ... A demonstration in support of Ukraine took place on Sunday in the eastern town of Narva, just across the river from the Russian Federation.
25.02.24 NEWS ... On the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Ministry of Social Affairs notes that while Ukrainian refugees who have obtained temporary protection status are equally eligible for benefits as the rest of the population, such recipients make up a very small proportion of the total.
25.02.24 NEWS ... Latvia has supported Ukraine to the tune of around €650 million in the two years since the full-scale Russian invasion began and, according to the statistics, every other Latvian resident has contributed, with no sign of let-up or fatigue.
25.02.24 OPINION ... The will to defend* is bolstered once war becomes personalized. However, we must do everything to ensure that any peace also becomes our personal peace, head of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELK), Archbishop Urmas Viilma said in his sermon delivered on Independence Day, Saturday.
25.02.24 NEWS ... Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine has dramatically changed the attitude of Western countries towards it and towards Europe's security, in no small part thanks to Estonia's consistent actions here, Kristi Raik, deputy director of think tank the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS), told ERR.