Kremlin media is agitating the European Union into imposing sanctions on Estonia

Russian television news had a topic on Estonia in August, which has not received much coverage in our media. Namely that Kremlin influenced media is talking about a possibility, that Europe may start calling the Baltic nations to order because of the promotion of Nazism, even as far as imposing economic sanctions.

The topic kicked off on 21. July when the website Izvestija reported an interview with a member of the European parliament, Jiří Maštálka. The story talks about how the Czech politician plans to propose a European parliament resolution that condemns the support for fascism in the Baltic countries as well as proposing implementing sanctions against those nations. The article refers to incidents where Nazism was promoted for example the Blue hills get together in Estonia and the torchlight parade in Tallinn.

On 9. August the topic continued when the TV stations NTV and Pervõi added the NATO produced Baltic forest brothers’ video as an example of support of Nazism. The topic is enlarged by the comments of several Kremlin minded speakers. The European criticism of the overturning of the Polish justice system is referenced and statements are issued that are hopeful that similar punishment of the Baltic nations would become a reality.

Is such a resolution truly in the works? Currently we are only aware of the topic via Kremlin influenced propaganda media. We have not found any references to such a document in any Independent channels. Actually, the only sources are the variously interpreted words of Maštálka. Even though the published videos try to show GUE/NGL, a European parliament fraction’s support of a hypothetical resolution, there is not a single line alluding to this document on the fraction’s website home page.

At the moment, it seems we are dealing with Kremlin spins and attempts to blow the topic way out of proportion as well as to put down the Baltic nations with vague accusations and shake up the unity of Europe. It seems that there is a hope on their part that with pushing active media coverage, a resolution may be proposed. We consider the accusations absurd and the given examples as a joke, although based on many reasons we have graded this type of info attack as one of the most threatening in recent times.

Consequently, many western individuals and institutions are involved in the topic. Although Maštálka is a Czech communist party politician, whose Russian thinking sympathies were demonstrated when he received an award from Putin in 2016, it is stressed in all of the stories that he belongs to a left wing fraction of the European Parliament. The editor of a German ultra-right newspaper and frequent commentator on propaganda channels, Manuel Oxenreiter also speaks in the video. Western speakers bring an aura of believability to the story. Due to strong keywords such as  „Nazis“, „sanctions“ as well as provocations where the topic is highlighted „ The EU is starting to punish it’s own members“ has the info attack potential of reaching the interest area of the western media. Even more so since for example a process against Hungary has already begun, based on the breach of European fundamental values.

A possible threat is the topic reaching website portal TV news. In the Russian media if an incident reaches TV broadcasting, it is considered serious and follow-ups will be transmitted. How Russian officials air the topic is indicative, recently the head of the Duma foreign commission, Leonid Slutski as well as the Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov have spoken on this topic.

Propastop is keeping an eye on the topic and will keep us appraised on any new developments. We stress again that all of the Russian media in the story are biased and are propaganda channels working in the interests of the Kremlin, we have added them to our blacked out list of websites and TV channels.

Pictures: posted screen shots from referenced videos and articles.