Estonia photograph

Estonia

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Capital Tallinn
Dialing code+372
Population1. 316 million (2017)
Currency Euro
Official languageEstonian
Date of Reg.
Date of Upd.
ID735895
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About Estonia


Estonia, a country in Northern Europe, borders the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland. Including more than 1,500 islands, its diverse terrain spans rocky beaches, old-growth forest and many lakes. Formerly part of the Soviet Union, it's dotted with castles, churches and hilltop fortresses. The capital, Tallinn, is known for its preserved Old Town, museums and the 314m-high Tallinn TV Tower, which has an observation deck.

Why are tensions mounting on the Belarus-Poland border?

Why are tensions mounting on the Belarus-Poland border?
Aug 10,2023 6:31 am

... The fear is that if Russia, along with Belarus, were to use military force to close this gap, they could cut off the Baltic republics - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - from their Nato allies in Europe...

Russia orders Estonian ambassador to leave country

Russia orders Estonian ambassador to leave country
Jan 23,2023 9:41 am

...By Imogen JamesBBC News The Estonian ambassador in Russia has been ordered to leave the country by 7 February after the Kremlin accused the country of " Russophobia"...

Narva: The Estonian border city where Nato and the EU meet Russia

Narva: The Estonian border city where Nato and the EU meet Russia
May 26,2022 3:50 am

... On the very edge of Nato s eastern flank, it is Estonia s third biggest city - but its population of nearly 60,000 is 97% Russian-speaking, making it the largest Russian-speaking city in the EU...

Is Nato's Nordic expansion a threat or boost to Europe?

Is Nato's Nordic expansion a threat or boost to Europe?
May 8,2022 1:05 pm

... " In the case of Finland, a form of military integration is already under way with British tank crews recently exercising with a Finnish armoured brigade, together with US, Latvian and Estonian troops as part of Nato s so-called Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF)...

Ukraine: Boris Johnson calls for pressure on Russia ahead of Europe trip

Ukraine: Boris Johnson calls for pressure on Russia ahead of Europe trip
Mar 1,2022 6:15 am

...Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the UK will " continue to bring maximum pressure to bear" on Russia as he prepares to fly to Poland and Estonia...

Russia-Ukraine tensions: Powers clash at UN Security Council

Russia-Ukraine tensions: Powers clash at UN Security Council
Feb 1,2022 12:38 am

... Nato s 30 members include the US and UK, as well as Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - former Soviet republics which border Russia...

Ukraine-Russia tensions: UK threatens tougher sanctions in event of aggression

Ukraine-Russia tensions: UK threatens tougher sanctions in event of aggression
Jan 31,2022 9:00 pm

... The UK has more than 900 military personnel based in Estonia and more than 100 in Ukraine as part of a training mission, while a light cavalry squadron numbering about 150 is deployed to Poland...

Ukraine crisis: What's at stake for the UK?

Ukraine crisis: What's at stake for the UK?
Jan 30,2022 4:13 am

... It could even send troops to the three Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania...

UK must do more to support Ukraine - Commons Defence Chair

Jan 23,2022 1:39 am

The UK must do more to support Ukraine as " combat-ready" Russian troops gather on its borders, The Chair of The Commons Defence Select Committee says.

Tobias Ellwood said Russian President Vladimir Putin was " taking full advantage of a weakened West".

" We Are looking risk-adverse and somewhat Timid . . I suspect an invasion is now imminent, " he told The Bbc .

He warned that Mr Putin was " redrawing the map of Eastern Europe " and" it's so important that we Step Forward . "

Western and Ukrainian intelligence services have suggested an invasion or incursion could happen some Time In early 2022, after Russian forces amassed on The Border .

Russia has denied it is planning an invasion, but Mr Putin issued demands to The West which he says concern Russia 's security, including that Ukraine be stopped from joining Nato.

He also wants Nato to abandon military exercises and stop sending weapons to Eastern Europe , seeing this as a direct threat to Russia 's security.

Mr Ellwood said he was " really pleased" that the UK had recently agreed to supply Ukraine with for training, albeit " late in the day" - and that France and Spain were following Britain's example.

But He Said the US " was looking a little bit Timid " suggesting the US administration was Caught Up with domestic issues, with foreign policy focused on Taiwan and China.

" Politicians and leaders need to make the case [for Ukraine's defence], " said Mr Ellwood. " From where I sit The World is Getting More dangerous, not less.

" We need to explain it to the British People , we need to explain it to The American people, the consequences. . of allowing Russia to advance and change the borders in Eastern Europe .

" There are ripple effects, that effect international security and, by extension, prosperity as well. "

His views were backed by Labour leader Keir Starmer : " To protect our values and our security we must be steadfast in our opposition to Russian aggression. We must stand with our Ukrainian allies. "

Tensions over Ukraine

On Friday, Downing Street said The Russian government will be " punished" if it " crosses the line" on Ukraine, as the US and Russia held urgent talks in Geneva in a bid to avert further conflict on Ukraine's Border .

The PM's deputy official spokesman said " any destabilising action" by Russia would be a strategic mistake with significant consequences.

Mr Ellwood said it was important to look at " the wider picture" as far as Mr Putin's approach was concerned: " He wants A Legacy , he wants to be seen as The Most powerful state in Europe. "

He suggested The Russian president had " boxed himself into a corner" with some 100,000 Russian troops currently amassed on The Border " but he also recognises that he will Never Again be as strong as this. "

" This is More Than just about Ukraine, this is about Putin wanting to establish, absolutely, a sphere of influence way beyond Ukraine itself. "

" He certainly doesn't want the EU or Nato rubbing up against the Russian Empire ; he needs that Buffer Zone . "

" Nato needs to develop a fresh sense of purpose, " he cautioned.

Nato's 30 members - including the UK, US and several former Soviet Union states which share a Border with Russia - agree that an armed attack against one is an attack against them all, and they will come to the aid of one another.

Dozens of British troops have been in Ukraine since 2015 to help train their armed forces, and the UK has also made a commitment to help rebuild Ukraine's navy following Russia 's invasion of Crimea in 2014.

" The only way forward is for Russia to deescalate and engage in meaningful discussions, " a Downing Street spokesman said on Friday.

Speaking from trade talks in Sydney, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Mr Putin must " desist and step back from Ukraine before he makes a massive strategic mistake" She Said .

What does Putin want?

Russia 's president has long claimed that the US broke a guarantee it made in 1990 that Nato would not expand further east. " They simply deceived us! " He Said at a news conference last month.

Interpretations differ over what exactly was promised to the then-Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev . But it is clear that Mr Putin believes the guarantee was made.

Since then, several central and eastern European countries, which used to be part of the Soviet Union or its sphere of influence, have joined Nato. Four of them - Poland , Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - have borders with Russia .

Russia argues that this expansion, and The Presence of Nato troops and military equipment near its borders, is a direct threat to its security.

The country seized and annexed the Crimean Peninsula in southern Ukraine in 2014 after Ukrainians overthrew their pro-Russian president. Ever since, Ukraine's military has been Locked In A War with Russian-backed rebels in areas of The East near Russia 's borders.

There are fears that The Conflict , which has claimed 14,000 lives and caused at least two million people to flee their homes, may reignite and that Russia 's military will cross The Border .



Source of news: bbc.com

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