Moscow signals concern for Russians in Estonia

[DavidDvorkin]

(Reuters) - Russia signaled concern on Wednesday at Estonia's treatment of its large ethnic Russian minority, comparing language policy in the Baltic state with what it said was a call in Ukraine to prevent the use of Russian.

Russia has defended its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula by arguing it has the right to protect Russian-speakers outside its borders, so the reference to linguistic tensions in another former Soviet republic comes at a highly sensitive moment.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/19/us-russia-estonia-idUSBREA2I1J620140319

And away we go.

[hobbit709]

1. Sudetenland II

[DavidDvorkin]

2. But we're not supposed to draw that comparison

Or so I've read on DU.

[hobbit709]

6. My attitude about ducks has always been:

If it waddles like a duck, quacks like a duck, swims and has feathers like a duck; then it's either a duck or some other closely related waterfowl.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. Look at the Balkan crisis between 1908 and 1914

it is actually closer to that.

Regardless, this is starting to get very serious. It was just serious.

[Beacool]

30. And they bashed Hillary for making that analogy.....

[hrmjustin]

3. I hope he won't be concerned for the Russians in Brighton Beach Brooklyn.

Hate to have to fight a war here.

[geek tragedy]

9. None of the Russians there I know of give a rat's shit about Putin.

This is their country.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Realize my mood has reached dark levels now

But there is a bright side to this. The chicken-hawks will likely have to fight, and will not be able to deny the damage war does. They are ok, as long as they are fought over there.

I said I was getting in the dark department. (You really do not want to be around as hubby and I drive to major fires, we get really dark)

[riversedge]

27. oh my!

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. Obviously, Condoleeza Rice's Op-Ed in the WSJ is to blame.

<-- for the snarkily-impaired.

[LiberalEsto]

5. If the Russian population in Estonia is so miserable and oppressed there

why don't they go back to Russia? They have had 23 years to pack up and move back.

Answer: The Russians living in Estonia know life there is much better than in Mother Russia.
Better economy, more freedom, better living conditions, more opportunities.

Also, I would not be at all surprised if Moscow doesn't send them fat checks periodically to stay in Estonia and bitch about how "terribly" Estonia treats them.

The language policy is that Estonians want people living in Estonia to know enough of the Estonian language to be able to vote. Is that so terrible?

When the Russians occupied Estonia from 1944 to 1991, they forced Estonians to speak Russian as the official language, forced Estonian school children to be taught only in Russian. In other words, they imposed their own language on the Estonians for almost 50 years. Why then, can't the Estonians ask that people who live in their country master a small amount of basic Estonian?

The Russians are total hypocrites. They want things their way, but they wouldn't stand for being treated the same way by others.

Note: I'm Estonian-American and have close relatives in Estonia.

[William769]

7. And so it begins. nt

[joeybee12]

8. Yup, it's the Baltics that Scum Putin will go after next...

ANd it makes me vomit how many people here at DU are buying the shit about how it's the will of the Ukranian people to go back to Russia...fuck them.

[sabbat hunter]

10. where are all of Putin's

defenders now?

[geek tragedy]

11. trying to justify an invasion of east Ukraine nt

[NuclearDem]

12. Jesus, Putin, you haven't even played with your Crimea yet!

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. It is not quite the Sudetenland

but... it is bad enough... somehow Russia and Montenegro in oh 1912 come to mind.

[davidn3600]

14. Estonia is a full NATO member folks...shit is getting real now...

If Russia puts troops in Estonia, the NATO treaty demands we declare war.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. and biden said as much this morning

Article 5 to be specific

[DavidDvorkin]

18. Yep.

[MerryBlooms]

16. damn

[longship]

19. Why doesn't he go after the Stans?

Maybe they're next, after the Baltics. Putin trying to rebuild CCCP?

[DavidDvorkin]

20. I bet they're on his schedule.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Not quite the USSR

This is the Russian Empire under the last Tzar

[Xithras]

23. Well, Tajikistan is now a close ally of Pakistan.

And Pakistan is both a nuclear power AND the homeland to lots of religious nuts who would go all jihadi on Russia if they tried, so they may be safer than the rest.

Overall, I think a modern invasion of the Stan's would make Chechnya look like a cakewalk. I don't think Russia could afford it.

[geek tragedy]

26. they already sold themselves back to Russia, they're all client states of Moscow nt

[Ex Lurker]

21. Putin really is as big a thug as predicted

And if he goes into Estonia, this means war.

[CFLDem]

25. I'll believe it when I see it.

I just don't think the West would respond militarily to anything Putin does east of Poland.

[NuclearDem]

29. Estonia's a member of NATO.

By treaty obligations alone, we would be at war.

[JustAnotherGen]

28. He's so full of bologna

Seriously. I've stayed pretty quiet on this stuff as I do not like war - I've almost become a complete pacifist. But it's obvious that his billionaire masters in Russia want this stupidity and they are going to continue to egg him on in this until someone says "You just can't make shit up and then act on it."

He's making shit up now . . .

[Beacool]

31. Well, that didn't take long.

What's next, Brighton Beach? Maybe those Russians are repressed too.

[laundry_queen]

32. Some people predicted this shit

but noooo, it was just about repressed Russians in Crimea that wanted the right to self-determination, nothing else. Putin said he would stop there!
Um, yeah, right and I have a bridge to sell you.

[DavidDvorkin]

33. "We have no more territorial ambitions in Europe."