Estonia
Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:27:59 +0200Police banned drones near the border in Ida-Viru County
Many drone pilots in Estonia received a letter from the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) this week, notifying them that due to the unstable situation at the border, drone flights are prohibited.
Thu, 23 Jan 2025 21:25:46 +0200EDITORIAL ⟩ Kristen Michal's promise to the Estonian people
Postimees agrees with Prime Minister Kristen Michal, who believes that the country should aim for 5 percent of the GDP in defense spending. However, we also agree with Meelis Oidsalu, editor of our «Power and Security» segment of Fookus, who argues...
Thu, 23 Jan 2025 16:20:00 +0200ANDREI KUZITŠKIN ⟩ A look into a Russian's shopping cart: the annual price increase is shocking
The past year of 2024 brought many unpleasant surprises to Russians, the main one being a significant increase in food prices, Andrey Kuzichkin, columnist and expert on Russia, writes.
Thu, 23 Jan 2025 15:45:46 +0200Volunteer corps to be involved in critical energy infrastructure protection
Estonian Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets is to present a draft order to the government on Thursday, involving the Kaitseliit (Defense League) volunteer corps in the protection of critical energy infrastructure.
Thu, 23 Jan 2025 15:40:01 +0200Estonian PM: When increasing defense spending, money should also come from EU
When it comes to raising Estonia's defense spending to 5 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), money collected from taxes in Estonia is not enough and help should also come from the European Union, Prime Minister Kristen Michal said on Thursda...
Tue, 21 Jan 2025 15:33:00 +0200KALEV KALLEMETS ⟩ Our first steps towards building a nuclear power plant
Fermi Energia has taken a significant step towards Estonia's energy future by submitting an application to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to initiate a national designated spatial plan for a 600-megawatt nuclear power plant, Kale...
Tue, 21 Jan 2025 09:01:00 +0200KRISTJAN JÄRVAN ⟩ Gas power plant near Russian border is a security risk
The government has so far hardly considered electricity supply an integral part of security and national defense, Kristjan Järvan, deputy mayor of Tallinn (Isamaa), writes.
Mon, 20 Jan 2025 13:52:00 +0200NITAZENES ⟩ Estonia's Battle with Deadly Synthetic Opioids Reveals Global Drug Trade Links to China
On December 7, 2023, police responded to a domestic violence call at an apartment in the Kopli district of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Upon arrival, they identified a man in his 30s, Sergei, and his partner, both of whom appeared to be extremely...
Fri, 17 Jan 2025 21:35:00 +0200MATTIAS JÕESAAR ⟩ The problem isn't talking about the birth rate crisis, it's the weird solutions
Demographer Mare Ainsaar said on the ETV program «Esimene stuudio» («First Studio») that it is bad when politicians talk too much about birth rate issues. The problem is not talking about the birth rate, but associating it with indirect and extra...
Fri, 17 Jan 2025 16:38:33 +0200President: UK has been Estonia's security partner for over a century
Meeting with the Duke of Edinburgh in Tallinn on Friday, President Alar Karis stressed the long-standing and strong friendship between Estonia and the United Kingdom, which dates back to the beginning of the last century.
Fri, 17 Jan 2025 15:55:05 +0200ERKKI KOORT ⟩ The largest Ukrainian air strike on Russia so far – this is the only way
Ukraine launched an extensive attack on Russian military targets on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, January 14 and 15. Over the course of the three-year war, Ukraine's capabilities and approach have evolved, and the only way forward now is t...
Thu, 16 Jan 2025 16:10:17 +0200SURVEY ⟩ Fact-checkers have not earned Estonians' trust
A recent survey has found that Estonian citizens mostly perceive fact-checkers as being more politically biased than trustworthy.
Wed, 15 Jan 2025 12:12:53 +0200Estonia opens two group homes for large foster families in Ukraine
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and the Estonian Center for International Development on Tuesday opened two family-style small group homes in Zhytomyr for displaced Ukrainian foster families.
Tue, 14 Jan 2025 20:17:46 +0200Fermi Energia files request to initiate nuclear power plant location studies
The private company Fermi Energia on Tuesday submitted an application to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to initiate a national designated spatial plan for a nuclear power plant with an electrical capacity of 600 megawatts.
Tue, 14 Jan 2025 17:50:00 +0200FOOKUS ⟩ Shapers of Estonia's security policy seeking a safe path like hedgehogs in global fog
As global uncertainty had skyrocketed by the start of 2025, one would expect national leaders to provide reassuring statements about our common goals. In Estonia, however, President Alar Karis declared at the end of last year that we talk too much ab...
Mon, 13 Jan 2025 18:45:00 +0200EDITORIAL ⟩ Not even a shadow of the shadow fleet!
The shadow fleet transporting Russian oil is not only a security problem, but also a serious threat to the environment.
Mon, 13 Jan 2025 14:58:15 +0200Two Estonian skiers die in avalanche accident in Val d'Isère
Two skiers, part of a six-strong group from Estonia, died in an avalanche accident in the French Alps on Sunday.
Fri, 10 Jan 2025 18:37:00 +0200ANDRES KRAAS ⟩ Such archaic transport connections put us back in time
It remains incomprehensible how some politicians and public figures were able to hail the launch of the Tallinn-Vilnius train service on Epiphany Day as a triumph of cooperation between the Baltic states, historian Andres Kraas (Isamaa) writes.
Thu, 09 Jan 2025 22:14:41 +0200EDITORIAL ⟩ The arrival of a climate-resilient state secretary
In mid-December last year, we criticized the Riigikogu for changing the law to allow candidates without a law degree to apply for the position of state secretary. There was reason to believe that the amendment was driven by Michal's wish to appoint h...
Thu, 09 Jan 2025 16:11:57 +0200SECURITY TODAY ⟩ Security forecast 2025: How will the future of Russia and NATO affect Estonia?
On the live program «Julgeolek täna» («Security Today»), security experts Meelis Oidsalu and Erkki Koort discuss the current factors affecting Estonia's security.
Thu, 09 Jan 2025 12:15:27 +0200State funeral of former Estonian president Arnold Rüütel to begin with public farewell
The state funeral of former Estonian president Arnold Rüütel, who died on the last day of 2024, is set to begin on Friday with a public farewell at the Kadriorg Art Museum in Tallinn, where the public can pay their respects to the former president ...
Wed, 08 Jan 2025 20:08:39 +0200USA and Estonia agree to share Danske Bank money laundering penalty
The United States and Estonia signed an agreement on Tuesday under which the United States will allocate 50 million dollars to Estonia from the fines imposed on Danske Bank for money laundering violations.
Tue, 07 Jan 2025 18:30:00 +0200FOOKUS ⟩ After the Balticconnector incident, Estonia buried half its head in the sand
The Estlink 2 sabotage made Estonians nervous partly because the government that had reported to work during the holidays looked sluggish and hesitant in public communication. Estonia was much better prepared to respond this time, yet some necessary ...
Tue, 07 Jan 2025 09:46:00 +0200ERKKI KOORT ⟩ Will Russia destroy its own 35-year-old creation?
Moscow has been busy for decades trying to maintain its influence over territories formerly occupied by the Soviet Union, using both destabilization and direct occupation, Erkki Koort, a security expert at Postimees and the Estonian Academy of Securi...
Mon, 06 Jan 2025 14:33:27 +0200Trump chooses Estonia-born lawyer Roman Pipko as ambassador to Estonia
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Estonian-born lawyer Roman Pipko as his nominee for the United States' next ambassador to Estonia.