Politics & Society

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...

Ambassador Kristjan Prikk joined other Baltic ambassadors at a lively panel discussion at the WorldBoston special event, "The State of the State Department & Baltic Security, " held at the Boston Public Library on Monday evening, April 3. The event was open to the public and nearly 300 people filled...

Karl Altau, JBANC The backdrop was a snowy couple of days in early March in Tartu, on the eve of Estonia’s parliamentary election. The venue was the V Spa Hotel and Conference Center. The topic was Russia and its continuing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On March 2-3, 2023, the Baltic...

Laas Leivat, Eesti Elu The 24th of February is a milestone in the history of both Estonia and Ukraine. On this date Estonians mark the birth of a nation. Volodymyr Zelensky named the same day a “rebirth” of his nation. “A new nation was born at four in the morning....

Dear fellow Estonians and friends! We are right to wonder if the meaning of February 24 has changed forever. While waiting for this day last year, we thought about the birthday of the Republic of Estonia and the history associated with it. It was a day when we thought about...