Staunton, November 22 – When the Ukrainian crisis began, some commentators in the West suggested that NATO would not in the end fight to defend the Baltic countries even though the latter are full members of NATO by asking “who is prepared to die for Narva?” But now a senior US State Department has given […]
Tag: Baltics
If Putin Goes Nuclear in Ukraine, the West Won’t Respond in Kind, Ex-Polish Defense Official Says
Staunton, November 7 – In a comment the Warsaw newspaper Fakt described as extremely disturbing, Romuald Szeremietiew, a former Polish deputy defense minister, says that if Vladimir Putin uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine or in the Baltic region, the West likely would not react in kind. His suggestion follows the Kremlin leader’s incautious and outrageous […]
Responding To Russia’s Threats In The Baltics Is Like Playing ‘Whack-a-Mole’
Not long after an Estonian counter-intelligence (KAPO) officer was kidnapped and paraded before Moscow TV cameras, Sweden is now playing its own version of “whack-a-mole,” with its navy hunting for phantom objects after reports suggest a Russian submarine or mini-sub is stranded in its waters. It is not clear exactly what is happening. Reports have […]
Moscow Didn’t Win Latvian Vote But Can Learn Some Lessons from It, Russian Commentator Says
Staunton, October 5 – Despite upbeat comments by a number of Russian media outlets yesterday and today that “ours” (having in mind Soglasiye), won the [Latvian parliamentary] elections,” Igor Pavlovsky says, “the facts are that [the members of that party] are not ‘ours’ and they did not win.” According to the Regnum news agency commentator, […]
Moscow Will ‘Do Everything Possible’ to Defend Compatriots in Baltic Countries, Russian Diplomat Says
Staunton, October 1 – Anatoly Makarov, the head of the Russian foreign ministry department for work with compatriots, says Moscow is doing everything it can to make “our multi-million strong diaspora a reliable partner of Russia, from which we have the read to expect deep internal moral support and understanding of our foreign policy initiatives.” […]
Moscow Preparing to Play Citizenship Card in Estonia and Latvia
Staunton, September 28 – Just as it did in Ukraine, Moscow is preparing again to play the citizenship card in Estonia and Latvia, muddying the waters as to who is “a Russian” and who is thus part of Vladimir Putin’s “Russian world” and worthy of Moscow’s defense whether any of them want that “defense” or […]
‘No One in Baltic Countries Can Sleep Peacefully,’ Illarionov Says
Staunton, September 27 – No one in Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania should be sleeping peacefully given the threat that Vladimir Putin poses to all three and the failure of the West to stand up to the Kremlin leader in Ukraine or adequately prepare to defend the three Baltic NATO member countries, according to Andrey Illarionov. […]
What Putin Intends to Provoke in the Baltic Countries
Staunton, September 23 – Just as the purpose of terror is to terrorize, the purpose of provocation is to provoke – and if the targets of a provocation understand what the one engaging in it wants to provoke, they will be in a much better position not only to prepare for it but also to […]
Ukraine LiveBlog Day 198: President Obama Travels to Estonia to Meet Baltic Leaders
Yesterday’s liveblog can be found here. An archive of our liveblogs can be found here. For an overview and analysis of this developing story see our latest podcast. Please help The Interpreter to continue providing this valuable information service by making a donation towards our costs. View Ukraine: April, 2014 in a larger map For […]
Putin Believes He Can Win a War with NATO, Piontkovsky Says
Staunton, August 8 – “No state or regime goes to war firmly convinced that it will lose it,” Andrey Piontkovsky says, and Vladimir Putin is no exception: if he goes to war with NATO and even if he escalates that conflict by using nuclear weapons, he will be acting on the basis of a belief […]