A chapter has closed in Estonian history. Ovid Avarmaa, the last surviving World War II resistance figure and operative of the Estonian National Committee—which fought against both Nazi and Soviet occupations—passed away in Montreal, Canada, at the age of 104. Avarmaa was born in Tartu, Estonia, on September 24, 1920. The only child of merchant navy captain Niilo Avarmaa (originally Nikolai Akkermann until Estonianization in 1937) and Elizabeth Sokk. His father, a notable mariner who survived a celebrated shipwreck in 1911, was later arrested by Soviets and spent over a decade in prison camps. Ovid’s wider family included figures such as Taavet Avarmaa (David Akkermann), a jurist and political notable, and cpt Juhan Avarmaa, a military officer

The current attitude of the US administration to small states has been compared to the Athenians, described by Thucydides in the The Peloponnesian War. 1/ The famous para by Thucydides is this (5:89):
"For ourselves (=Athenians), we shall not trouble you (Island of Melos, ally of Sparta) with specious pretences—either of how we have a right to our empire because we overthrew the Mede (Persia), ; 2/

80 years ago 17 East European nations were sold out to communist tyranny so that the West could enjoy peace and liberal democracy. 30 years ago Eastern Europe won back its freedom despite efforts of our friends to “keep stability”. 1/6 Now it seems its up to Europe to decide. Do we want to be united and win or be divided between the “great powers” again. 2/6

A bit about the constitutional crises in Georgia.
President @Zourabichvili_S has
1. declared Parliamentary elections illegitimate.
2. declared the a Russian operation is ongoing attempting to take over Georgia
3. said the sitting government is illegitimate
1/n This has sever constitutional consequences.
Article 49.1 of Georgian Constitution states:
The President of Georgia is the Head of the state of Georgia and is the guarantor of the country’s unity and national independence.
2/n

As a reminder to my friend @vkaramurza, this is what Solzhenitsyn wrote on "Russian guilt."

"But who, if not we ourselves, constitutes society? This realm of darkness, of falsehood, of brute force, of justice denied and distrust of the good, this slimy swamp was formed by us, and no one else. We grew used to the idea that we must submit and lie in order to survive-and we brought up our children to do so." "A n d if we now long - - and there is a glimmer of hope that we do - t o go forward at last into a just,
clean, honest society- how else can we do so except
by shedding the burden of our past, except by repen- tance, for we are all guilty, all besmirched?"

This is why Estonians feel the Ukrainian pain as their own.
One family of thousands deported by the Soviets in 1941: Villu Tamleht, born 1929, deported to Kirov oblast at the age of 12, escaped in 1946, returned to Estonia and died as a forest brother in 1949.

I keep hearing that "the people" in the West are getting "tired" of the war against Ukraine. In case any of these tired people read this, I tell you a story. Its about not getting tired. Erna Kelder was born in Järva county, Estonia, in 1922. She was one among 5 daughters and 1 son in a family of a local forester Eduard and Johanna Kelder.

How to understand Prigozhin's mutiny. A thread.
There have been several attempts to draw historical parallels. Decembrists. Pugachev's peasants. Fights to remove Czar's favourites like Rasputin . None of those really apply. Why? Because all these attempts to challenge or disrupt power have happened in a system where at least parts of it function as a real legitimate political organisation.

This photo is of Alide Wilhelmine Purru. She was born in Rõuge, South Estonia in 1900. She was married to Otto Purru, a forester, born in 1896. They had a son Ago, born in 1930 and a nice farmhouse in Saarlasõ village near Rõuge. Photo is of an Estonian pagan sacred place in Saarlasõ.

Today's arrest warrants by the ICC are historical not only for Ukraine but all countries ever invaded and occupied by Russia and the Soviet Union. This is the first time since 1917 there is hope that the World community says: enough. This is the story of my grandmother's sister and her family. On this picture they are together in front of their farmhouse in Helme, South-Estonia, in 1932. Independent Estonia, member of the League of Nations, a small proud democracy.

It might be true that Rheinmetall cannot deliver Leopards to Ukraine in less than a year. However, this is misleading. Here is why:
1 Rheinmetall has 22 Leopard 2 and 88 Leopard 1 in stock. But thats not important. Important is how many Leopard 2 does the Bundeswehr have. The answer is 250
2

This is not a bad joke. In Serov, Russia, the Russian military held hero's funeral for Sergey Molodzov who was killed in the war against Ukraine fighting in a Wagner unit. In the official obituary he was called a creative person who always helped the weak, loved life, freedom, music.
"Most important for him was truth"

Alas, Leonid Volkov is not being sarcastic. He says the West should give Russia a Marshal Plan after the war to avoid the feeling of "injustice" "again".

https://twitter.com/politica_media/status/1594393470860394497

"The feeling of injustice" that the West was sympathetic to, after 1991, is in fact the main root of resurgent Russian imperialism. "Russia lost a lot of territory". "We need to understand their feelings".

Every family with genocide memories has stories we wish we could forget. Ours has to do with gold teeth. Looking at this makes me realize: we have to keep telling these stories. Because otherwise they happen again.

https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1577401183492313089

My grandfather was an engineer, a metal factory manager in Tallinn before the war. He had started as a simple worker, put himself through school and worked himself to the top.

Another "don't corner Putin" guy popped up. Good old John Kerry. It always amazes me when people from radically opposing political positions start to sound the same. Kerry sounds like Tucker Carlson. Clearly not even realizing it. OK, he doesnt sound it, but he says the same thing. Carlson blames Putin's war against Ukraine on everyone but Putin. The Kremlin TV loves him for that. But listen to this:

Unless I've gotten Russia wrong for the last 30 years, the only reason Putin would actually use nuclear weapons is if he thinks the nukes will keep him in power. The only message he should receive from the West is this: you might or might not stay in power if you lose in Ukraine but you will definitely lose it all if you use nukes.

Everyone jumping to critisize the Baltic states for not promising preemtive asylum to all Russians in danger of being mobilised, please take a breath.
This is a thread on our policy: 1. I speak for Estonia but am sure Latvia and Lithuania as EU members follow rougly the same policy.
2. A few days aga we were critisized for suspending the issue of tourist visas for Russians. Then the Russians said they dont want to ask for asylum,

Since most media seem to be unable to stop stigmatising the Eastern European nations with the "former Soviet" qualification, they should go all the way. This is a chart on how to call other nations from now on. Additions welcome. Norway, former Danish colony

Even the proposal of EU banning tourist visas for Russian passport holders infuriates the Kremlin. This is not because the Kremlin cares of "ordinary Russians." Ordinary Russians don't travel to Europe. 70% of them dont even have travel passports. 1/4 Travelling to Europe is popular among the Russian elites and Moscow & St Peresburg middle class. These are the people Putin tries to convince he has everyting under control. And some of them Russia uses for corrupting the Westerners, projecting Russian "soft power".2/3

A friend asked for an explanation why "It's just Putin" is wrong and dangerous. I felt it needs a longer response. Here it is: The problem is immeasurably deeper, wider and older than Putin and his band of gangsters. Generation after generation has been raised in a lie. And the despots who have ruled Russia have always gotten away with it internationally.