Op-Ed

Renee Meriste, President of the Estonian Society of Los Angeles The strongest guarantee of freedom and a free country lies in the unwavering commitment of its population to uphold and protect the fundamental principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. To safeguard this freedom, it is imperative...

Jaak Treiman, the Honoray Consul in LA The Foreign Ministry’s decision to close the New York and San Francisco consulates has generated explanations and commentary. I want to add my commentary to the mix, offering what is perhaps a different perspective. My connection to Estonia’s foreign ministry predates the reacquisition...

Back in the day, when young folks grew up, they had a sense of adventure and wanted to see the world. They signed up to work on a cargo ship and set sail for where the winds would take them. Why not try a modified version of that today, and...

There is an expression: turning swords into ploughshares, restoring despair to hope, war to peace, and putting an end to the chaos that has now taken over our major cities, where thousands are cowering behind closed curtains, while mobs are massing in the streets, looting, trashing, and burning what we...

Laas Leivat, Eesti Elu Estonia is slated to celebrate its cultural diversity throughout 2014. The year will be declared “Kultuurilise Mitmekesisuse aastaks”. One may ask how this is compatible with the widely accepted notion that Estonia is a 'nation-state', which usually denotes territory that is ruled in the name of...

It would seem implausible that an Estonian would have any role in the Russification of those living in the Russian-occupied Donbas area of Ukraine. But this particular Estonian is fully aware of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant in October 2022 for Russian President Vladimir Putin, in this instance, for...

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...

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...

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...