RUSSIAN PROVOCATIONS FALL FLAT IN ESTONIA

UNCLAS TALLINN 001085

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV RS EN
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN PROVOCATIONS FALL FLAT IN ESTONIA

REF: MOSCOW 12612


1. (SBU) Summary: In recent weeks, several Russian
attempts to provoke Estonia with Soviet-style propaganda
have fallen flat. A Duma resolution on the Soviet
soldiers' memorial in downtown Tallinn (the so-called
"Bronze Soldier"),a well-timed declassification of
documents "proving" U.S. and British complicity in the
Soviet occupation of the Baltics, and GOR complaints
about draft legislation that would ban public displays
of both Nazi and Communist symbols in Estonia have
merited little reaction from GOE officials or the
Estonian media. End Summary.


2. (U) On November 15, the Russian Duma adopted a
statement (reftel) protesting the Estonian Parliament's
discussion of legislation which, if approved, would
allow the GOE to relocate war monuments away from the
center of Tallinn. The Duma statement accused the
Estonian Parliament of "glorifying fascism" by
considering this legislation, which has passed the first
of three readings in the Parliament. In a November 16
BNS story, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said Estonia
should not justify Russian accusations by reacting to
them. He pointed to the lack of reaction by Italy and
Spain after a recent EU-Russia summit during which
Russia equated those countries with mafia and
corruption.


3. (SBU) On November 23, Estonian media outlets
published excerpts from a Russian foreign intelligence
service (SVR) press release on the declassification of
400-pages of documents from World War II. The SVR,
which released the documents just subsequent to Queen
Elizabeth II's Baltic tour and only days before
President Bush's visit to Tallinn and the Riga NATO
summit, claims the documents prove Britain and the

United States tacitly approved of the Soviet occupation
of the Baltics after the War. Official Estonian
reaction to SVR comments and the release of the
documents was extremely muted. In conversations with
us, MFA officials dismissed the information as a "non-
issue." Foreign Minister Urmas Paet publicly stated
that the GOE has no plans to look into Russian claims.
Prominent parliamentarians Mart Laar and Marko Mihkelson
noted in Postimees that the release of the documents and
the corresponding Russian media campaign was perfectly
timed to coincide with President Bush's travel to the
region. Laar also said that Estonians will not be
tricked by "new revelations" and concluded that he
believes Russia hopes to spread fear and dissension
among the Baltic States and give the impression that the
United States and United Kingdom betrayed them. (Note.
Embassy Tallinn obtained an electronic copy of the
Russian documents and forwarded them to EUR/NB. End
Note.)


4. (U) Subsequently, on December 1, BNS published an
article on the Russian reaction to draft Estonian
legislation banning public displays of Nazi and
Communist symbols. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov called the bill "immoral" and complained that it
equates Nazi crimes with Soviet achievements and
detracts attention from "real problems" including those
faced by Russian speaking minorities in Estonia and
Latvia. Again, Estonian media largely ignored the
Russian reaction to the bill.


5. (SBU) Comment: Even a few years ago, these types of
provocative actions and remarks by the Russians would
have elicited a much stronger response from Estonia, but
these days neither the GOE nor the press is taking the
bait. However, it is likely that nationalist parties in
Estonia will try to mobilize their base by inciting
anti-Russian sentiment in the run up to spring
Parliamentary elections. This will certainly put the
GOE's pragmatic approach to the test. End comment.

WOS