Contents tagged with Estonia

  • Estonian parliament speaker: inviting Putin to visit Estonia is a big mistake

    Estonian Parliament Henn Polluaas said in an interview with ERR.ee that he believes that the country's president, Kersti Kaljulaid, made a mistake by inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the World Congress of the Finno-Ugric Peoples in Tartu, Estonia.

    He expressed doubt that the Russian president would come to Estonia. "I am very sorry that the president made this step and called Putin," he said. According to Polluaas, Russia "is carrying out a blatant russification of national …

  • President of Estonian parliament reiterates territorial claims against Russia

    The 1920 Treaty of Tartu, which established the Russian-Estonian border, remains in the UN’s registry of valid international treaties, said Henn Põlluaas, President of Estonia’s parliament, in his New Year’s address.

    Põlluaas pointed out that this year will mark the hundredth anniversary of the signing of the treaty. He noted that, after the state’s independence was restored, the international community recognized Estonia as the legitimate successor of the Estonian Republic, which was formed …

  • Finland and Estonia launch Balticconnector gas pipeline

    On December 11, ceremonies to mark the commissioning of the Estonian-Finnish gas pipeline Balticconnector were held simultaneously in Paldiski (Estonia) and Helsinki (Helsinki), reports Delfi news outlet.

    The gas pipeline was launched by the Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.

    The length of the underwater part of the Balticconnector gas pipeline from Paldiski to Inkoo municipality in Finland is 77 km. The land part covers 55 km in Estonia and 21 km in …

  • Ukrainian and Estonian presidents call on Russia to withdraw from Crimea and Donbas

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid signed a joint statement on cooperation, in which Estonia reaffirms its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine with Crimea and the Donbas, reports the press service of the Ukrainian President.

    "The presidents reiterated their firm commitment to international law and the basic principles of international relations. They called on the Russian Federation to cancel the illegal occupation of …

  • Estonia demands that Russia return territories in line with century-old treaty

    The Estonian government has voiced a claim to certain Russian territories that belong to Estonia according to the Tartu Peace Treaty of 1920. At the time, Soviet Russia recognized the republic’s independence and granted parts of Russia’s Pskov and Leningrad provinces to Estonia.

    Russia claims that this treaty was invalidated when Estonia became part of the Soviet Union during World War II. The position of the Estonian-Russian border was finally agreed upon in 2005 after 11 years of …

  • Estonia refuses entry to Russian ship and plane with Russian Deputy Prime Minister onboard

    The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova said that Estonia, without any explanation, did not allow the Russian vessel Academician Primakov to enter its territorial waters, reports Interfax news agency.

    According to her, this decision of the Estonian side was "extremely surprising" for the Russian Foreign Ministry, as this year, Estonia already permitted this vessel to enter its waters twice. Zakharova noted that this time, permission was denied without explanation. …

  • Ukraine offers Estonia to join forces in opposing Nord Stream 2 pipeline

    Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk offered the Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu to intensify opposition to the development of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in a coordinated manner, reports the press service of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers.

    Honcharuk said that "it is critical that the EU member states would explain to their citizens the negative effects of the Nord Stream 2 construction project on European energy security." In response, Reinsalu noted the importance of …

  • Estonia voices support for Ukraine joining EU and NATO

    Estonia is in favor of Ukraine joining the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu at a press conference.

    “Estonia is the devoted friend of the Ukrainians, and fully supports [Ukraine] joining the political family of the European Union and NATO on the basis of objective reforms and transformation in the country,” the minister said.

    He added that Estonia will never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea and the eastern …

  • Estonian President: Russia's actions in Donbas and Crimea cannot be accepted

    Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid stated that Ukraine and the international community should look for ways to resolve the conflict in the Donbas, and the recent exchange of prisoners with Russia can be "a remarkable step in this process," reports the press service of the  Ukrainian President.

    "But this cannot happen at the cost of Ukraine's sovereignty," said Kaljulaid at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on September 13. The Estonian President also …

  • US rumored to have secret special forces base in Estonia

    The editorial board of Ochevidets (the eyewitness) claims that since 2014, the US has maintained a secret special forces base in Estonia, the Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) reports.

    The presence of a secret US special forces base was first suspected after one of the journalists from Ochevidets supposedly obtained access to a Pentagon document which stated that Washington was allocating $15.7 million to Tallinn for a “specific facility”.

    “The foreign and local media has speculated for …