I speak Russian – therefore I am Russian?

The short answer is: not necessarily. Ethnicity and language are closely related, but there are other factors that must be considered. It’s important to recognize that speaking Russian as one’s native language does not automatically equate to being ethnically or culturally Russian. In many cases, the prevalence of Russian as a native language in countries formerly … Continue reading I speak Russian – therefore I am Russian?

Why Russia’s resettlement programmes for Estonian residents have been a failure

Russian speakers in Estonia are regularly depicted in Kremlin propaganda as marginalised or oppressed. This creates a paradox when trying to explain why they prefer living here, despite Russia’s incentives for them to resettle.

The curious case of Latvia’s missing bus benches

Kremlin propaganda claims Latvians are stealing benches to keep warm without Russian energy, but the suspicious story raises far more questions.

Estonia agrees a new coalition, but pro-Kremlin influencers spin it very differently

Pro-Kremlin influencers online are pushing the narrative that the Estonian Prime Minister has resigned due to her support for Ukraine. The truth is very different.

Fact check: Russia falsely claims EU sanctions are ‘blockading’ Kaliningrad 

Not for the first time, the Kremlin accuses others of what it is itself doing. We fact checked the key claims about the “Kaliningrad blockade” (that isn’t a blockade).

Here’s what happens when you listen to Russian speakers in Estonia

Both the BBC and NPR recently visited Estonia to listen to the perspectives of local Russian-speakers. Their stories puncture Kremlin propaganda narratives.

Russia’s Embassy in Estonia claims Russia is the real victim of Russia’s sexual violence in Ukraine

The Kremlin referred to a group of women in Estonia protesting sexual violence as ‘Russophobes’. We explore the history of the term and why the protest took place.

No, the Baltic nations were not in a “collective security arrangement” prior to NATO

The Warsaw Pact invaded its own members. It is not comparable to NATO as a defence alliance that sovereign states like Estonia chose to join.

6 clichés to avoid when reporting about Estonia

A helpful guide for international journalists writing about Estonia, the “tiny ex-Soviet state” that is neither tiny nor an ex-Soviet state. We’ve included an infographic you can share.

Why there’s no ‘flood’ of Ukrainian refugees

Autocratic regimes promote metaphors to shape perceptions, such as by portraying Ukrainian refugees as a “flood” into Europe. Yet this metaphor best describes what they are fleeing.