Govt Office: Kremlin propaganda flow towards Estonia remained at normal levels in March

TALLINN - The Kremlin's propaganda flow in March remained at its usual level and was mainly carried out through three main narratives -- Estonia as a warmonger, a leading Russophobe, and a failed state, it appears from an overview by the Estonian Government Office.

"The 'peak' of Russophobia naturally came when 150,000 people of Estonia lost their right to vote in the elections, meaning that the 'democratic' authorities in Estonia deprived citizens of Russia, Belarus, and all local non-citizens permanently residing in the country of the right to vote in local elections. This move, according to Kremlin propagandists, will undermine the stability of the country, divide society, and ultimately lead it to an 'ethnocratic' status. Kremlin propaganda singles out and praises all politicians who opposed it, highlighting Ossinovski, Raik, Kõlvart, Tšaplõgin and Vooglaid, and criticizes especially harshly 'traitors' of Russian nationality, such as Jufereva-Skuratovski," the Government Office said.

"This was by no means the only Russophobic manifestation or discriminatory act that, according to the propaganda of the eastern neighbor, was committed in 'free' Estonia. There were many more examples: the cessation of recognition of non-biometric passports; the termination of the legal assistance agreement; the decision to remove Soviet-era symbols from buildings; the violation of religious freedom, or the issue concerning the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (MPEÕK), 'which may even attract the attention of the administration of US President Donald Trump,'" the Government Office added.

According to propagandists, the Estonian authorities are also continuing their policy of unnecessary warmongering, as evidenced by the decision to increase defense spending to over 5 percent of GDP, which is a clear example of "war hysteria" and confirms Estonia's aggressiveness and preparation for war.

"This is allegedly also confirmed by the statement of Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur that Estonia needs new, larger warships. There is continued criticism of NATO's naval operation in the Baltic Sea, which is seemingly unnecessarily creating military tension in the region and threatening Russia's security. According to Nikolai Patrushev, deputy chairman of the Security Council, the Russian Baltic Fleet has had to increase its readiness due to the activities of Estonia and Finland: training has been increased and the infrastructure of naval bases has been strengthened to ensure the country's security and sovereignty," the Government Office said in its overview.

The propagandists were also pleased by a Wall Street Journal article that pointed out that NATO had been unable to find evidence of Russian or other national authorities' involvement in the Eagle S oil tanker incident.

"This was popular news because it helped to shape the image of Russia as an unfairly accused country and a victim of hostile Western propaganda. The stories also emphasized Maria Zakharova's quote from earlier that the statements about the alleged Russian footprint in the damage to the cables in the Baltic Sea are aimed at preventing the export of Russian oil and arbitrarily restricting navigation in the waters," the Government Office said.

Much attention was also paid to Prince William's visit to the "NATO base in Tapa," emphasizing its proximity to the Russian border.

"The heir to the British throne appeared in military uniform, wearing goggles and riding a Challenger 2 tank -- a dream come true for Russian propaganda news producers, who interpreted the visit as a threat and a sign of NATO hostility. The joint decision of the Baltic states and Poland to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, or the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, also caused a 'storm in a teacup,' despite the fact that Russia itself has never joined the convention, and allegedly provided further confirmation of the fact that the Baltic states are preparing for war, not peace: 'They probably believe that war in Europe is inevitable and, based on the experience of the Ukrainian favorites, they are likely to want to use such mines,'" the Government Office added.

Also widely discussed were the interviews of the Estonian and Lithuanian defense ministers to the Financial Times, which were presented as absurd. Vladimir Dzhabarov, the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council's international relations committee, commented that the Baltic states' statement that their own security would be at risk if Ukraine signed a peace treaty was not exactly a sign of great intelligence. The post by pro-Kremlin Irish journalist Chey Bowes on X: "War to the last Ukrainian for the sake of the 'security' of the Baltics" was also widely referenced.

According to the propagandists, one confirmation of the failed state narrative is Estonia's failed and ridiculous foreign policy: Margus Tsahkna's call to suspend Hungary's voting rights in the EU is said to show his incompetence. The Georgian prime minister was also quoted as saying that the Estonian foreign minister is an "Olympic champion in incompetence," referring to his educational background and activities as foreign minister.

"Such claims are used by the Kremlin to undermine Estonia's position on the international level. In addition, it was emphasized as often as possible that Estonia has imposed state sanctions on Russians, from whom the EU recently lifted sanctions, which, according to Kremlin publications, shows the Estonian government's pro-Westernism and inability to make independent decisions. The Estonian government reshuffle also fell under the same narrative, which was presented in the propaganda media as evidence of Estonia's political instability, emphasizing that the ruling coalition collapsed due to internal strife and that the Reform Party and Estonia 200 being in power harms the rights of Russian-speaking residents," the Government Office said.