Politics & Society

Karl Altau / JBANC The NATO Summit will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, from July 11 to 12, 2023. Depending on Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive against Russian occupiers, we will soon find out the possible path for Ukraine’s further integration with the West. Ukraine has already been offered an EU Membership...

On May 19, 2023, the Estonian American National Council (EANC) held a town hall for purposes of gathering input and ideas on the future of the beloved international Estonian festival known as ESTO. The event was held over Zoom, attended by approximately 75 Estonian Americans from across the USA, a...

Five years ago, a survey conducted among 2000 citizens by WCIOM, a Russian public opinion polling centre, offered results that could well be authentic. Since the subject matter was apolitical, respondents’ answers could be considered as genuine. The five most prevalent conspiracy theories in 2018, in reverse order by the...

The new director and CEO of the Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom in Tallinn, Karen Jagodin, visited the Latvian Museum in Rockville, and the JBANC office on May 4. Ms Jagodin was in the United States during Vabamu’s 20th anniversary this year to promote new initiatives and future exhibits...

Karl Altau, JBANC In his May 12 article for Foreign Policy magazine, “NATO’s Got a New Backbone,” House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) argues that “It’s time for the United States to prioritize members of the alliance that understand the Russian threat and are taking it seriously.” Rogers...

On Tuesday, May 9th, the Office of the Prosecutor General launched criminal proceedings to investigate the use of Ukraine aid sums by Estonian NGO Slava Ukraini. Proceedings were launched based on the embezzlement section of the Penal Code. The Estonian proceedings were launched the day after similar proceedings in Ukraine....

"A TALK with the Ambassador: View from Estonia, and an EANC TOWNHALL: What is the Future of ESTO festivals?" The Estonian American National Council (EANC) announced this week that Estonian Ambassador to the United States Kristjan Prikk will be featured as the keynote speaker at its virtual forum on Friday,...

In an interview on French TV, China’s ambassador to France said that former Soviet (occupied, ed.) countries have no effective status in international law. European governments reacted swiftly, condemning the remarks. Numerous EU politicians called on France to expel Lu Shaye, the author of the “unacceptable and outrageous” statement. In...

Karl Altau, JBANC Finland has good reason to be the Happiest Country in the World. On April 4, 2023, the Republic of Finland formally became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), joining 30 other members in what was the fastest accession process in the alliance's history. Without...

The Consul from the Consulate General of Estonia in San Francisco will be in Seattle on Saturday, May 20th to provide consular services (e.g. passport and ID card application submissions, fingerprinting, issuing of e-residency cards). The appointments will take place at 950 N. 72nd Street, Suite 100. Please pre-register for...