Estonia

Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in the Baltic region of the northern European Union. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Lake Peipus and Russia. Estonia is a democratic parliamentary republic divided into fifteen counties, with its capital and largest city being Tallinn. With a population of 1.3 million, it is one of the least-populous member states of the European Union, Eurozone, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the OECD and the Schengen Area.

QuotesEdit

We'll be here for Estonia... You lost your independence once before. With NATO, you will never lose it again. ~ Barack Obama

Putin has every incentive to stir up trouble in Estonia... Putin could ask for no better battlefield. ~ Daniel Berman

Putin has every incentive to stir up trouble in Estonia, because it is the point of maximum contradiction between the geopolitical idealism of NATO expansion, and the realpolitik factors by which world affairs are actually driven. As such, it is the point of maximum weakness for the alliance. NATO is obligated to fight for Narva or admit that Article Five is a lie, but NATO has no strategic or moral justification for doing so, and would be intervening to prevent a genuinely oppressed local population from exercising self-determination. In effect, then, NATO would become complicit in that oppression through its actions. Putin could ask for no better battlefield.
- Daniel Berman, "Will Narva Be Russia’s Next Crimea?" (8 April 2014), The Diplomat

In the course of centuries never have the Estonian people lost their desire for independence. From generation to generation have they kept alive the hidden hope that in spite of enslavement and oppression by hostile invaders the time will come to Estonia "when all splints, at both end, will burst forth into flames" and when "Kalev will come home to bring his children happiness."
- Estonian Declaration of Independence (1918)

Estonians don't do "in a cold panic". Phlegmatic, slow, non-reactive, yes. Panic, no.
- Toomas Hendrik Ilves, as quoted in "Smaller Countries, Far Away" (24 October 2016), by Jay Nordlinger, National Review

Ants Laaneots, Estonian general and member of the Parliament’s Defense Committee, has his own explanation for the blatant acts of racism on Tallinn’s streets. He does not exclude the conspiracy that the massive attacks on African-American NATO soldiers in Tallinn were ordered by private individuals from Russia as the provocation to compromise his country in the eyes of the United States. Police must carefully investigate every case of such attack to determine Russia’s involvement, he believes.
- Mikhail Klikushin, "Estonia Wants More NATO Troops—But Only If They Aren’t Black" (22 February 2016), Observer

More than twenty years after the restoration of Estonia’s independence, the opinion that time would automatically resolve the integration issue of non-ethnic Estonians, and that the younger generation born here would blend into Estonian society, has not been confirmed in practice.
- Katja Koort, "Russians: Estonia Twenty Years After", World Affairs Journal

We value our independence, clearly and dearly, and I’m sure that we will put up resistance, come hell or high water.
- Jüri Luik, as quoted in "Smaller Countries, Far Away" (24 October 2016), by Jay Nordlinger, National Review

Even if Estonia spent everything it had on defense, it would be hard pressed to fend off Russia, which has a million men under arms and another 2 million in reserve...
- Jay Nordlinger, "Tiny, Faraway Countries and Us" (20 July 2018), National Review Online

We'll be here for Estonia. We will be here for Latvia. We will be here for Lithuania. You lost your independence once before. With NATO, you will never lose it again.
- Barack Obama, speech in Tallinn (September 2014)

Estonia is a very beautiful country, Estonians are proud of their country, the houses are in order, the streets are clean.
- Jack Tarien, as quoted in "Estonia Wants More NATO Troops—But Only If They Aren’t Black" (22 February 2016), Observer

Our soldiers and embassy will continue to stand with the vast majority of the Estonian population who do not support or condone intolerance. However, businesspeople, tourists and students who experience similar treatment may take away a very different view, which over time will erode Estonia’s positive international reputation.
- Chever Voltmer, "Racism Concerns Us All" (4 November 2015), Õhtuleht

Online voting — however you vote — is not the main attack vector
- Liisa Past, who helped lead the Estonian government’s analysis on cyber-risks of online voting and now works with the government through a partnership with cybersecurity firm Cybernetica, according to Estonia proves trust is at the heart of online voting published November 2, 2020