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EESTI ELU reedel, 21. augustil 2020 — Friday, August 21, 2020
English-language supplement to the Estonian weekly “EESTI ELU” Tartu College Publications Founding Chairman: Elmar Tampõld Editor: Laas Leivat 3 Madison Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 2S2 T: 416-733-4550 • F: 416-733-0944 • E-mail: editor@eestielu.ca Digital: www.eestielu.ca
Russophobia: Myth or reality? (II) According to Estonian philo sopher/poet Jaan Kaplinski, anti-Russian sentiment deve loped in Estonia in 1940, during the first Soviet inva sion and occupation of the country. Kaplinski sees this beginning as resulting from Nazi propaganda, which the Estonians endured during the German war-time occupation of 1941–1944. Others attribute most of the negative feeling towards Rus sian as a direct derivative of Soviet/Russia repression during the first occupation, including mass deportations to Siberia, the liquidation and removal of the government, wide purges of most other officials, the destruc tion of the military, the seques tering of private property and the overall repression of the indigenous Estonian population. These resentments obviously did not subside during Soviet authoritarianism and Commu nist Party dominance, during the 1944-1991 second Soviet occupation. But the feelings were distinctly anti-Soviet, easi ly transferable into anti-Russian attitudes, but still based on the brutality and suppression origi nating from Moscow, not evolv ing into intolerance of ethnic Russians but rejection of vile totalitarianism. Kaplinski, however, suggests that the enforcement of Soviet rule in 1940 and the ensuing heavy handed practices of a stifling Soviet regime replaced anti-German feeling with antiRussian sentiments within twelve short months. He has also stated that anti-Russia sentiment has been sustained in Estonian political rivalry and as an enduring theme for the media. The Kremlin’s fight with Russophobia has taken a dan gerous twist. It appears to treat Russophobia as a form of in tolerance for Russians as an ethnic group. It hasn’t been nailed down. Is it aimed toward Russia or Russians? If it’s the latter, then it denotes xeno phobia or racism, akin to antiSemitism, a condemnation universally acknowledged and against which it’s relatively easy to find allies to join in a fight. Academics have argued that theoretically Russophobia has no substantive meaning since Russia is not a nation-state.
Russophobia must therefore be a designation targeting a politi cal entity. But an academic approach does not negate its use as an immediate dismissal of all criticism about the politi cally draconian nature of the current Russian regime. Urve Eslas, in a Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) report states that the term Russophobia is part of public discourse to describe not only Estonia’s policy and society but also its identity. Eslas approaches this from two view points. First, CEPA has identified in the Kremlin’s designation of Russophobia towards adversar ies the notion of ‘gaslighting’ – the repeated attempts at con vincing the other party that its memory, perception and every day experience is false, until it starts to accept the alternative version. Second, the process of ‘interpellation’ explains that the ideas we internalize to an extent that they have such a grip on us make us believe they are our own. Estonia, by responding to Russian accusations with guilt and agreement eventually may become Estonians’ self-percep tion and be defined by it. The Kremlin recognizes the respon ses of some Estonians who take the bait and uses the epithet accordingly. Analysts have indi cated that Moscow itself fully understands that ‘Russohobe’ may fit the image of an ideological enemy but has no substance or justification when used to describe these special bigots that don’t exist. However, analysts also say that Moscow’s use of Russo phobia is a weak propaganda weapon in its rhetorical arsenal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s insistence that the Baltic states should somehow purge its Russophobic ‘be haviour’ to normalize relations with Russia should not be taken seriously. How best to counter this false incrimination? By continu ing to explain that attacks on ‘Russophobes’ are a way of protecting Russian society against any doubts about the Kremlin’s behaviour. By reveal ing that the current Russian re gime holds critics of its policies and actions as enemies and thus strives to stigmatize them. LAAS LEIVAT
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Estonian government does not recognize Belarus election results ERR, August 2020 Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) has said that Estonia does not recognize the results of Bela rusian elections on August 9 as they were rigged in favor of Alexander Lukashenko, who secured his sixth term as President of Belarus. Reinsalu announced on social media on Tuesday: “The Government of the Republic of Estonia does not recognize Belarusian election results. The government’s position is that due to election fraud, [Alex ander] Lukashenko has lost his mandate.” He added that political dialogue must be created in Belarus in order to achieve honest and free elections. Reinsalu added: “The government decided to allocate €100,000 to support Belarus’s civil society. I will present specific projects soon.” The foreign minister also noted that a UN Security Council sitting will take place on Tuesday evening, where Estonia will raise the issue of Belarus. Large-scale protests in Bela rus started late on August 9, after the Belarusian Central Election Commission announced the results of the election showed Lukashenko, who has been in office since 1994, received 80 percent of the total votes with opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya win ning only 10 percent. An exit poll conducted in Tallinn and 25 major cities in Europe showed large-scale support for the opposition can didate among Belarusians living in Estonia, further legitimizing suspicions of vote-rigging. On Wednesday, state leaders of the European Union will hold a video meeting with the main topic being Belarus. The foreign ministers of the EU have initiated proceedings re garding new sanctions against Belarusian authorities respon sible for election fraud. A statement released by the government recently said: “Estonia does not recognise the results of the presidential elections in Belarus on 9 August, which were neither free nor fair. Estonia is of the opinion that Alexander Luka shenko has lost his mandate due to widespread falsification of election results. “The Estonian government supports the will of the Bela rusian people for change in the country and considers it impor tant to hold new, free, and democratic elections. “The government supports the introduction of targeted
A pre-COVID 19 pandemic, face-to-face UN Security Council meeting in New York. Photo: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ERR
Estonia to raise situation in Belarus at UN Security Council ERR, August 2020 Estonia plans to raise the issue of Belarus at the UN Security Council, a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) said: “Due to the political crisis in Belarus and the potential threat to inter national peace and security, Estonia will propose an imme diate discussion on the situation in Belarus at the UN Security Council.” One of the tasks of the Security Council is to help prevent conflicts and stop them from escalating. One of the main objectives of Estonia as an elected member of the Security Council is to ensure compliance with international law, and keep grave violations of human rights in international focus. Reinsalu said it is crucial for the authorities of Belarus to stop the violence against peace ful protesters, release political prisoners and hold a dialogue with citizens with the aim of holding free and fair elections. “Estonia remains committed to the people of Belarus,” He wrote on Twitter on Monday. President Kersti Kaljulaid also said Estonia would raise the topic with the UNSC. “Estonia is working as an elected member of the UN
sanctions against those respon sible for the violence and elec tion fraud. At the same time, the government emphasises that the sanctions must not be to the detriment of ordinary Bela rusian citizens. “The European Union must discuss and focus on the situa tion in Belarus in international organisations, including the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council, the Council of Europe, and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The government believes that the emphasis must be on preventing a possible escalation of violence and finding a peaceful political solution that would lead to new
Security Council to ensure that the situation in Belarus is dis cussed in the Security Council as soon as possible,” Kaljulaid said in a press release. “Estonia has also proposed to discuss the issue in the UN Human Rights Council in order to once again call for an end to the violence of peace authorities against peaceful protesters and to release those detained without a reason.” Kaljulaid discusses situation with Baltic and Polish presidents On Monday, Kaljulaid dis cussed Belarus with the Lat vian, Lithuanian and Polish presidents and how to keep the topic in the international spot light and on the agenda of international organizations. “We all want Belarus to be stable, democratic, independent and prosperous and we’ll keep raising awareness in support of the Belorussians’ wish for free and democratic elections,” Kaljulaid wrote on Twitter. In a video meeting with the President of Latvia Egils Levits, the President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda and the President of Poland Andrzej Duda, it was discussed what the position of the countries could be, which should also be brought to the table in inter national organizations.
elections. “The Estonian government supports Belarusian civil society and free press, as well as greater support from the European Union. The government agreed with the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to support Belarusian civil society with €100,000.”
Correction The Society of Estonian Artists in Toronto was incorrectly named in an article about them in the last issue. Our apologies.
