Estonia – Strong Defender of Ukraine

It has been our contention that the former captive nations of Russian subjugation are their own best defenders against renewed Russian aggression. They know the reality of Moscow’s prison of nations and they know that Russia, regardless of its political coloration, is eager to rebuild this evil environment. This has been their collective message since the end of World War Two. Actually, Russia’s march against neighboring countries isn’t a current campaign. As we’ve been saying, it’s been pursuing this belligerent quest for a millennium.

Today’s Russian invasion and war against Ukraine demonstrates the danger that is at the border of every former captive nation. Yes, some of them, Poland and the Baltic States, have the benefit of NATO’s protection but trepidation is in the alliance’s warnings to the Kremlin.

The only solid support they can offer each other, especially Ukraine, is collectively defending each other from Russia’s imperial designs. We have advocated for a strong military alliance among them as well as a most favored nation arrangement for commercial purposes.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the now independent and sovereign countries have shown to be the best advocates for Ukraine. They have vigorously endorsed closing the skies above Ukraine and sending Ukraine all modern weapons with which to subdue and possible vanquish the aggressor.

We’ve compiled here a selection of strong observations by Estonian officials about the war and helping Ukraine from the Estonian World, which proves this point.

• Estonian president Alar Karis gave a speech on March 16 in Tallinn at a concert in support of Ukraine, where he said that the missiles falling on Ukrainian cities are falling on every city in Europe and that all of Europe is at war, fighting against the aggressor and for peace. “Putin has taken from us a world in which, despite its uncertainties and the crises it faced, one thing seemed certain: no European country would wage war on another. Putin’s aggression towards Ukraine has changed everything. The attacks of Russia’s land, sea and air forces on Ukrainian people and cities expose the true face of evil,” Karis said. “This war will not end any time soon; nor will it end once the last battle has been fought. It will weigh heavily on generations to come. Ukraine will need our support for a long time, and it is the debt we owe them. Because again, in defending Odesa, Mariupol and Kyiv, they are defending Berlin, Tallinn and Stockholm.”

• Policymakers and the public can either boycott Russian energy fully today, to stop the invasion immediately; or they can watch Russian forces commit one outrage after another – every day moving closer to the territory of the EU, Oleg Ustenko, an economic adviser to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wrote in the Estonian World.

• The Estonian Foreign Ministry on March 18 summoned the Russian ambassador to the country and handed over a diplomatic note stating that three staff members with diplomatic status of the Russian Embassy have been declared persona non grata. According to the foreign ministry, the activity of the people in question has been in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and therefore they must leave Estonia within 72 hours. All three have directly and actively undermined Estonia’s security and spread propaganda justifying Russia’s military action, the foreign ministry said.

• The British Army’s Royal Welsh battalion has taken over as the lead unit of the NATO battlegroup in Estonia. The formal ceremony was held in Tapa military base, Estonia. The British battalion will lead the 1,700-strong NATO battlegroup that also includes French and Danish troops.

• The Estonian Council of Churches and the leaders of member churches, including Eugene, the head of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, issued a statement condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• Estonia has contributed €220 million ($243,529,000) worth of aid to Ukraine, the major share of which is military aid, but the country has also sent medical and humanitarian aid, according to the Estonian Defense Ministry. Estonia has sent an undisclosed number of Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine as well as Soviet-made 122-mm howitzer D-30s.

• The Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet attended a recent meeting of NATO defense ministers at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, where the situation in Ukraine and further options for supporting Ukraine were discussed. “Estonia’s message at the NATO table is to significantly strengthen the alliance’s eastern flank, which also means increasing the troops and capabilities stationed in Estonia,” Laanet said in a statement.

• The United States Congress has passed a $1.5 trillion budget package that includes $180 million in security assistance for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 2022.

• The Council of Europe today expelled Russia from the continent’s foremost human rights body in an unprecedented move over Moscow’s invasion and war in Ukraine. The 47-nation organization’s committee of ministers said in statement that “the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe as from today.” After the decision, the Council of Europe staff went outside of its headquarters in Strasbourg, France, and took down the Russian flag. Russia was a member of the organization for 26 years.

• Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in an interview with the Estonian Public Broadcasting’s radio service that the West should not openly say it will not intervene in Ukraine under any circumstances – just like the US president, Joe Biden, has repeatedly said, for example.

• The Estonian parliament on March 14 adopted a resolution addressed to the parliaments of other EU member states and NATO, as well as to the parliaments of other countries regarding Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, in which the legislative body demands a no-fly zone in Ukraine. In the resolution, supported by 90 MPs of 101, the parliament expressed its support to the defenders and the people of the state of Ukraine in their fight against the Russian Federation “that has launched a criminal war, and calls on showing absolute support to Ukraine in its war for maintaining its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

• The Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet said at the Estonian Television’s morning program that he personally supports the closure of the airspace over Ukraine. “If you send fighters to actually defend the airspace that is an additional argument for intervention. At the end of the day, I dare not say whether NATO’s decision will be either way. But if you ask my opinion, personally I would make that move. My opinion is yes,” Laanet said.

• Estonia's Twitter handles include Stand with Ukraine after the ministry or department designation.

#StandWithUkraine

Zelenskyy Addresses Joint Session of US Congress; Suggests Creating ‘United for Peace’ Association

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has already captured the imagination of people of good will around the world, today became a member of a unique fraternity of 48 foreign leaders to address a joint session of the US Congress.

After already speaking in the British and Canadian parliaments, Zelenskyy turned his attention to the United States with an impassioned plea for more humanitarian and military aid.

In a 17-minute address filled with poignant citations from American history, Zelenskyy bartered with his audience of 535 lawmakers, many of whom have been ardent supporters of Ukraine for decades, begging for one type of defense mechanism and then offering a more palatable one.

As Ukrainians fight for their country, lives and freedom against Russian invaders, Zelenskyy reminded the legislators that “Russia has attacked more than just our land and our cities. It went on a brutal offensive against our values. Basic human values. It threw tanks and planes against our freedom. Against our right to live freely in our country, choosing our own future. Against our desire for happiness. Against our national dreams. Just like yours, ordinary people of America. Just like those of everyone in the United States.”

And he insisted on a practical response to safeguard his country and people from annihilation.

“And we ask for a response. For the response from the world. For the response to terror. Is this too much of a request?

“To establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine is to save people. Humanitarian no-fly zone. Conditions under which Russia will no longer be able to terrorize our peaceful cities every day and night. If that’s too much, we offer an alternative.

“You know what defense systems we need. C-300 and other similar systems.

“You know how much depends on the battlefield on the ability to use aircraft. Powerful, strong aircraft. To protect your people. Your freedom. Your land. Aircraft that can help Ukraine. That can help Europe,” he said combining the defense of Ukraine and Europe.

Zelenskyy cited Mount Rushmore, Pearl Harbor, 9-11, Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” to drive home the point of Ukraine’s suffering and expectations.

Just as American endured death from the skies on September 11, so too are Ukrainian cities experiencing this catastrophic sensation every day: “In a way you could not stop it. Our state experiences this every day! Every night! For three weeks now! Different Ukrainian cities... Odesa and Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Sumy, Zhytomyr and Lviv, Mariupol and Dnipro. Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death. For thousands of people.

“Russian troops have already fired nearly a thousand missiles at Ukraine. Countless bombs. They use drones to kill more precisely. This is a terror Europe has not seen for 80 years!”

Zelenskyy repeated the famous “I have a dream” quote but altered it to say “I have a necessity. The necessity to protect our sky. The necessity for your decision. Your help. And it will mean exactly the same thing. The same thing you feel. When you hear: I have a dream.”

The thanked President Biden, legislators and Americans for their support for war-torn Ukraine and its people who are fighting every day for their existence against Russian invaders. He called for sanctions against all Russian legislators, urged all American companies to leave the Russian market that’s “flooded with our blood” and insisted that all American ports be closed to Russian goods and services.

In order to protect future generations against such deadly invasions by foreign enemies, Zelenskyy suggested the establishment of a new association – U24.

“United for Peace. A union of responsible states that have the strength and conscience to stop conflicts. Immediately. Provide all necessary assistance in 24 hours. If necessary - weapons. If necessary - sanctions. Humanitarian support. Political support. Funding. Everything necessary to preserve peace quickly. To save lives. In addition, such an association could provide assistance to those who are experiencing natural disasters, man-made disasters. Who fell victim to a humanitarian crisis or epidemic,” Zelenskyy elaborated.

“If such an alliance, the U-24, had already been formed, I believe it would have saved thousands of lives. In our country, many other countries that need peace so crucially, that suffered inhuman destruction...”

Zelenskyy pointed out that it is not enough to be a leader of a nation, today one needs to be the Leader of the world. “Being the Leader of the world means to be the Leader of Peace,” he clarified.

After showing the audience a visually graphic and psychologically disturbing video of the death and destruction that Russia has rained on Ukrainians, Zelenskyy continued: “Today the Ukrainian people are defending not only Ukraine, we are fighting for the values of Europe and the world, sacrificing our lives in the name of the Future. That’s why today the American people are helping not just Ukraine, but Europe and the world to keep the planet alive, to keep justice in history.”

And addressing senseless deaths and his perception of Biden’s obligation, Zelenskyy said: “Now I am almost 45 years old. Today my age stopped when the hearts of more than 100 children stopped beating. I see no sense in life if it cannot stop death. And this is my main mission as the Leader of my people – great Ukrainians.

“And as the Leader of my nation I am addressing President Biden.  You are the Leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the Leader of the world. Being the Leader of the world means to be the Leader of Peace.”

Hopefully President Zelenskyy’s words did not fall on deaf ears.

Badge of X-Captive Nations’ Courageous Support for Ukraine

The visit by prime ministers of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic to Ukraine in the midst of the barbaric invasion of the country by Russia cannot by disparaged by the free world and the other former captive nations of Russian subjugation.

Traveling to Kyiv on Tuesday, March 15, to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal were Poland’s Mateusz Morawiecki and his deputy Jarosław Kaczyński, Slovenia’s Janez Janša and the Czech Republic’s Petr Fiala.

The purpose of the visit was “to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and to present a broad package of support for the Ukrainian state and society,” a government spokesperson said.

Read those words again. They were expressed by high-ranking officials of the member-states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that officially shied away from such strong gestures because it feared a catastrophic response by Russian führer Vladimir Putin. The travelling officials put their lives in jeopardy but the meaning of their presence in Kyiv far outweighed the danger. They emphasized, like the former captive nations have been saying for the past three decades and even since the end of World War Two about the dangers of Russian aggression, that their public sign of unity is a major weapon against Moscow.

“At such breakthrough times for the world, it is our duty to be where history is forged; because it is not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny,” Morawiecki said in a Facebook post.

The Polish official said he and the other leaders were going to Kyiv to “show Ukrainians our solidarity” and denounced “Putin’s criminal aggression against Ukraine.”

Their words and manifestation sent a resounding message to all countries around the world.

Morawiecki also observed that “It is here, in war-torn Kyiv, that history is being made. It is here, that freedom fights against the world of tyranny. It is here that the future of us all hangs in the balance.”

Indeed, for the former captive nations that know firsthand what Russian subjugation means, noting that the battle for freedom against tyranny begins in the Ukrainian capital reinforces the commonality of their ongoing cause even 30 years after the fall of the iron curtain.

Slovenia’s Jansa described the visit as a way to send a message that Ukraine is a European country that deserves to be accepted one day into the European Union. Two weeks earlier, Zelenskyy made an emotional appeal to the European Parliament on that very subject.

“We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe,” Zelenskyy told EU lawmakers on March 1. “I believe that today we are showing everybody that is what we are.”

Jansa said the war has awoken Europeans to idea that the bloc represents fundamental ideas that are under threat — and which Ukrainians are defending with their lives.

Also traveling with the three leaders was Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Poland’s de-facto leader whose presence carries a symbolic significance. He is the surviving twin of the late President Lech Kaczynski, who died in a plane crash on Russian soil in 2010 along with 95 other Polish officials, among them political and military leaders, as they traveled to pay tribute to the Poles executed by the Soviet secret police during World War II. Kaczynski has long suspected that Putin had a role in provoking the accident.

Ukraine’s Shmyhal praised the “courage of true friends” and said the leaders would discuss “support of Ukraine and strengthening sanctions against the Russian aggression,” on a Twitter post.

Fiala said the main purpose of the visit was to tell Ukraine it is not alone. “We know you’re fighting for your lives ... but we also know you’re fighting for our lives, our freedom,” Fiala said. “Probably the main goal of our visit, the main message of our mission, is to say that you’re not alone. Our countries stand by you. Europe stands by you.”

“At a time when many ambassadors have left Ukraine in connection with the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, these dignitaries, leaders of their beautiful independent European states, fear nothing, care for our fate more, and they are here to support us. This is a great courageous, correct and friendly step. And I am sure that with such friends, with such countries, with such neighbors and partners, we will really be able to win,” Zelenskyy told reporters after the meeting.

At this particular moment in history, this joint meeting is as strong as a Javelin missile. The three prime ministers showed exceptional leadership in a crisis that should be imitated by the other x-captive nations that weren’t present like Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. When the free world sees that the former jailers have arisen against their jailer, perhaps it will take seriously their campaign against Russian imperialism.

Regrettably, Vice-President Kamala Harris, who visited Poland last week and was within a car ride from the border with Ukraine, failed to demonstrate the same level of political solidarity with Ukraine and the quest of the former captive nations.

Perhaps next week's NATO Summit that President Biden will attend should be held in the woods near the Polish-Ukrainian border like the first Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations conference that took place near Zhytomyr in 1943.

#StandWithUkraine

Polish Diplomat doesn’t Discount Victory of Ukraine over Russia

The Polish ambassador to the United States publicly admitted that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are capable of defeating Russia and intimated that this may be the only tenable formula for peace in the region.

Speaking with Christiane Amanpour on her CNN program Amanpour & Co. today, Poland’s Ambassador to the United States Marek Magierowski said: “I don't know whether we will find a diplomatic solution, but maybe a military solution… I believe the Ukrainian army is capable of defeating the Russian army right now.”

The significance of this observation by a close ally of Ukraine and a member of NATO is not lost on all observers of the Russo-Ukraine War of 2014-22. Undoubtedly, the United States and the free world were caught like a deer in headlights by the Polish official’s comment.

Magierowski also said “Russia is losing this war right now. Not only in the hearts and minds of Europeans and Americans or the societies of the so-called free world but Russia is losing this war literally,” referring to the fact that Moscow’s military machine has been stymied by the Ukrainian army, National Guard, Territorial Defense and regular citizens. Russia’s ground war has been converted to indiscriminate missile attacks that have killed innocent civilians and children.

The Polish diplomat said that Russian forces have committed “acts of barbarism in Ukraine” that he said were “war crimes, atrocities.” 

Magierowski predicted that despite the outcome of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the free world’s sanctions against Russia and its people, the free world will have to deal with Putin with years to come.

Poland’s Ambassador told CNN that sanctions on Russia should “last for a decade, maybe 15 years” following Moscow’s invasion and assault on Ukraine.  

“I think that if we wanted to retaliate for that invasion against Ukraine with punitive measures and by crippling the Russian economy, we have to be determined and ready to uphold the sanctions in a longer term. Maybe they should last for a decade, maybe 15 years, because I'm afraid we are going to live with Mr. Putin for many years to come,” Magierowski told Amanpour in the interview.    

“I do believe and I am confident that Mr. Putin and his cronies and all his closest aides will end up in the dock, in The Hague, in the International Criminal Court, because this is what he has already fully deserved,” Magierowski said.

NJ Senate Approves Bill Prohibiting Russian Investments 

In response to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the New Jersey Senate approved a bill sponsored by Sen. Paul Sarlo and Sen. Declan O’Scanlon that would prohibit public investments with Russia. 

The Senate also expressed its overwhelming, bipartisan support for Ukraine by voting for a resolution condemning Russia for its unjustified invasion and expressing New Jersey’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

The sanctions bill, S-1889, would cut off public investments and other financial agreements with Russia and any business or individual with Russian interests. The prohibitions would also apply to Belarus.

“We won’t stand by while Russia conducts an unjustified war against Ukraine without taking action,” said Senator Sarlo (D-Bergen), the committee’s chair. “These economic prohibitions will make them pay a price by cutting off sources of revenue here in New Jersey. If other states follow our lead, it will make the sanctions imposed by countries throughout the world even more effective. We should try to bleed Putin and his oligarchs dry of their profiteering.”

The legislation would prohibit the state and local government in New Jersey from doing business with the Russian government or any business or financial institution with Russian interests. The bill would specifically prevent the state from investing pension or annuity funds in companies engaging in financial activities in Russia, and would prohibit the state from banking with institutions that provide banking services for Russia.  

“It’s clear that Vladimir Putin has little fear that the people of his nation will learn the truth of the atrocities being committed under his command in Ukraine when they only have access to censored media that spews lies and fake news,” said Senator O’Scanlon (R-13). “While Putin might be able to control the flow of information within Russia, but he won’t be able to shield his nation from the economic impact of sanctions and divestment undertaken by governments across the world, including the State of New Jersey. These unified actions are not intended to hurt peaceful Russian citizens, but to send a strong message to the oligarchs and others in positions of power that their leader has crossed a line with his war in Ukraine that the international community will not tolerate.”

Under the bill, a person or entity that engages in investment activity in Russia would be prohibited from obtaining a professional service contract from the state or a local government, a tax credit or other economic incentive issued by the Economic Development Authority, a tax abatement, or a payment in-lieu of property tax agreement.

The Senate also expressed New Jersey’s full-fledged support for Ukraine by voting unanimously for Senate Concurrent Resolution 88, calling on Russia to stop its violent attack and recognize Ukraine as a sovereign state, free to choose its own leader and future. The resolution is sponsored or cosponsored by every member of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

“We are declaring our solidarity with the people of Ukraine in their courageous stand against the unjustified attack by Russia. We want them to know that we are standing with them in support of democracy and the right for self-determination. Всі ми громадяни України (We are all citizens of Ukraine).” Senator Joe Cryan, chair of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

“We join in unity and solidarity with the people of Ukraine who have been inundated with the attacks and bombings brought on with the ongoing invasion by Russia. Ukrainians have shown tenacity in their pursuit of democracy. We are doing every effort to support our Eastern European allies. We offer our prayers to Ukraine and its people.” Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez, vice chair of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

“New Jersey is joining the world community in condemning Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine and its brutal and horrific attacks that have targeted and killed civilians, including children. We stand with besieged Ukrainians as they mount their courageous defense and with the thousands of disgusted Russians who have taken to the streets to call for a peaceful end to this senseless war.” Senator Sam Thompson (R-12), a member of the Senate Military & Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

UN again Denounces Putin for Invasion; Demands Withdrawal of Army from Ukraine

As countries and companies individually lined up to denounce Russia’s despot Putin for invading Ukraine, the UN further added insult to injury by condemning Russia and its tyrant and overwhelmingly adopting a resolution demanding Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukraine.

This resolution, which was not the first UN document that castigated Moscow’s aggression in recent years, demonstrated the global community’s ongoing extreme disapproval of Putin and his bloody, criminal belligerence.

After more than two days of extraordinary debate, 141 out of 193 member-states voted for the non-binding resolution seen as a severe rebuke of Moscow’s inhuman and lawless behavior. China was among the 35 countries which abstained, while just five voted against it – Belarus, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and Eritrea.

The resolution “deplores” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “in the strongest terms” and condemns Putin’s decision to put his nuclear forces on alert.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued remarks following the vote and called for an end to the war raging in Ukraine.

“The General Assembly has spoken. As Secretary-General, it is my duty to stand by this resolution and be guided by its call,” Guterres declared in comments delivered to the press.

“The message of the General Assembly is loud and clear: End hostilities in Ukraine – now. Silence the guns – now. Open the door to dialogue and diplomacy – now.”

The UN chief additionally expressed concern about the conflict’s implications for global stability as the world continues to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Today’s resolution reflects a central truth. The world wants an end to the tremendous human suffering in Ukraine,” he said.

Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said Russian forces “have come to the Ukrainian soil, not only to kill some of us ... they have come to deprive Ukraine of the very right to exist.” He added: “The crimes are so barbaric that it is difficult to comprehend.”

Even though it is regarded as a non-binding resolution, it is nonetheless the latest slap in the face of the Kremlin leaders and a testimony to the global community’s disgust with Russia’s criminal behavior.

On Tuesday, December 20, 2016, the United Nations labeled Russia an occupier state for seizing Crimea and Donbas. Then the UN General Assembly on Monday, December 7, 2020, urged Moscow in no uncertain terms to immediately withdraw its army from Ukrainian lands. This demand repeats the UN’s previous designation of Russia, the age-old enemy and oppressor of Ukraine, as the “occupying power.”

For all eternity, Russia will be reviled like Hitler and the Nazis have been.

#StandwithUkraine

 

Lithuania’s Grybauskaite tells Free World to Stop Hiding behind Article 5

The former president of Lithuania, the world’s latest Iron Lady, is not sitting quietly in her retirement.

Dalia Grybauskaite, who has been known to denounce Russia’s führer Vladimir Putin for his inherent belligerence, has criticized NATO for hiding behind its Article 5 while Ukraine is being mercilessly bombed by Russian invaders. She, alone among other current and former leaders, knows how to stop Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“Sanctions will not stop Putin, whatever they are. They are needed, but without the exceptions we see right now with the disconnection from the SWIFT and the exclusion of the energy sector and banks that service it,” Grybauskaite, a great unabashed friend and supporter of Ukraine, posted on Facebook. “Only a war can stop the war that has already begun. There is no need to pretend and try to calm your conscience by supplying Ukraine only with weapons and doing so too late. The people of Ukraine are now fighting the war for us,” she added.

Her observations, which should be echoed by all world leaders, are a necessary demonstration of how the former captive nations of Russian subjugation must support each other in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.

Grybauskaite further ridiculed those repeated statements that NATO cannot help Ukraine that “already sound pathetic and show the West's cowardice.”

“Despite learning fast, the West still does not understand that there is a European war in Ukraine. Either you take part in it and fight the aggressor, or you stand and watch him destroy Ukraine and its people, becoming an accomplice in war crimes. Yes. An accomplice,” she wrote.

Grybauskaite understands well the essence of Putin and his diabolical plans noting that if Russia isn’t stopped in Ukraine then “we will end up needing to fight in any case, but in our countries already.”

“I am ashamed to hear NATO leaders and officials muttering that they ‘cannot engage in the conflict,’ but we could do so in Syria, Libya, Africa, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan? Today, Ukraine is fighting for the survival of its nation and the peace in Europe,” the former Lithuanian president said.

“Glory to Ukraine. Glory to its heroes, only to its heroes for now, because others are not yet visible on the horizon.”

Last summer there was a move to have Grybauskaite named secretary-general of NATO. That campaign should continue until that happens.

Šlovė Lietuvai!

Glory to Ukraine!