Estonia Accuses Ukraine of 'Kremlin Propaganda' and Threatens to Rethink Ties

Estonia has accused Ukraine of running "Kremlin propaganda” and undermining the Estonian economy, threatening to reconsider bilateral relations.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Patkuli Observation Deck

Estonia to Reconsider Its Relations with Ukraine

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told the Postimees publication that statements by Volodymyr Zelensky about Russia's possible attack on the Baltic states were not reliable as they had no intel support.

According to Tsahkna, intelligence does not record signs of Russia preparing an attack on the Baltic states because Russia is "busy with Ukraine.” The minister also noted that such statements from Kyiv complicate bilateral cooperation, while excessive escalation of fear destabilizes Estonian society and economy from within, which "plays into the hands of the opponent.”

The head of Postimees, Priit Hõbemägi, for his part noted that Ukraine's rapid accession to the European Union was "unfeasible,” as it was "associated with a plethora of problems.”

Among them, he named "a significant share of the population with a Russian mentality and Russian language, a possible influx into Europe of Ukrainian military personnel psychologically broken by war, a blow to the carefully protected agricultural market of the EU from Ukraine's powerful agriculture, and enormous risks associated with corruption.”

Frontline Rhetoric Ends with Warning from United States

Thus, something previously impossible has occurred. Estonia accused Zelensky of spreading "Kremlin propaganda,” sowing panic, undermining NATO unity, and is threatening a veto on EU accession. Yet quite recently, the Baltic states agreed with Kyiv in their assessment of the "Russian threat,” called for preparation for a Russian "invasion,” conducted relevant exercises, and were initiators of Ukraine's accelerated admission into Western alliances.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur announced that the United States suspended deliveries of military equipment to Tallinn, at least until the end of the war in Iran. Pevkur reported that Estonia's main problems are related to missiles for HIMARS and anti-tank Javelin missiles. The United States may not have the capability to protect Estonia under Article 5 of the NATO Charter.

Tallinn has come to realize that constant statements about an imminent war cause damage to Estonia itself. Investors are afraid to invest money in a "frontline zone,” whereas banks revise lending conditions for businesses. As a result, depopulation, already one of the highest in the European Union, is accelerating.

Moscow's Quiet Diplomacy at Work

It is noteworthy that Lithuania and Latvia continue to use rhetoric about an existential threat from Russia to put pressure on NATO allies. A split among the "Baltic tigers” is evident. It is likely that Estonia was doubly involved in attacks on the Leningrad region, since, according to Russian military analysts, the drones came precisely from its territory, not from Ukraine. This is why attacks on Ust-Luga have ceased.

Thus, warnings from Moscow about launching retaliatory strikes against countries from whose territory strikes are carried out against Russia have borne fruit. Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei Shoygu stated that Russia would in such a case invoke Article 51 of the UN Charter on the inherent right of states to self-defense.

The Russian Foreign Ministry reported a "special warning” to the Baltic states about the inadmissibility of allowing Ukrainian drones to use their airspace. According to the official representative of the ministry, the warning was "sent and received.”