Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TALLINN297
2007-05-03 16:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tallinn
Cable title:  

UPDATE ON BRONZE SOLDIER AND ESTONIAN-RUSSIAN

Tags:  PGOV PREL RS EN 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4708
OO RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHTL #0297/01 1231609
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 031609Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9796
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 2493
RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA IMMEDIATE 2899
RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS IMMEDIATE 6651
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 1180
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TALLINN 000297 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/NB VICTORIA MIDDLETON, KEITH ANDERTON
AND JAMES LOVELL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL RS EN
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON BRONZE SOLDIER AND ESTONIAN-RUSSIAN
RELATIONS

REF: A. TALLINN 290

B. MOSCOW 1998

Classified By: DCM Jeff Goldstein for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TALLINN 000297

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/NB VICTORIA MIDDLETON, KEITH ANDERTON
AND JAMES LOVELL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL RS EN
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON BRONZE SOLDIER AND ESTONIAN-RUSSIAN
RELATIONS

REF: A. TALLINN 290

B. MOSCOW 1998

Classified By: DCM Jeff Goldstein for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Following days of demonstrations outside the
Estonian Embassy in Moscow and an attack on their Ambassador,
the GOE pushed hard for EU engagement with Moscow. The
resulting Troika demarche in Moscow and statement by the
Presidency was well-received by the GOE. A Russian State
Railways announcement that it will suspend oil shipments for
"previously unpublicized scheduled maintenance" has generated
only muted response from Estonia. Meanwhile, the Bronze
Soldier has been placed in the military cemetery in Tallinn
and is being attended by a steady stream of thus far peaceful
visitors. End Summary.

The GOE Calls for EU Engagement with Russia


2. (C) Following several days of demonstrations in front of
their Embassy in Moscow and a May 2 attack on Estonia's
Ambassador to Russia (reftels),the GOE condemned the GOR's
violation of the Vienna Convention and stepped up its calls
for EU engagement with Russia. In an address to the
parliament on May 2, PM Ansip said that Estonia has asked the
EU for "immediate action" because an attack on one member
state "means an attack against the entire EU." In an
official statement, President Ilves highlighted the need for
unity among all Estonians and "civility" from Russia.
Privately, during a (previously scheduled) lunch with EU
Ambassadors in Tallinn, Ilves said he doesn't want any more
"even-handed" statements, that it is time for the "EU to take
a side." In a statement released May 1, FM Paet outlined
accusations of Russian Embassy representatives meeting with
riot organizers, blamed the Russian Federation for cyber
attacks against GOE websites, and accused Russian news
organizations of broadcasting false stories including
Estonian police killing detainees and Estonian Defense Forces
Members ordering its members to shoot Russians. Paet
emphasized that the GOE believes it is "essential that the
European Union react in full strength against the behavior of

Russia," and suggested that this could mean suspension of
EU-Russia negotiations and postponement of the EU-Russia
Summit.


3. (C) Kyllike Sillaste-Elling, the Prime Minister's Foreign
Policy Advisor, emphasized to us how important the GOE felt
it was for the EU to recognize the seriousness of the
situation for Estonia. In addition to the myriad of public
statements on May 2, the GOE continued to direct diplomatic
outreach to the EU -- with calls by PM Ansip to President
Merkel, FM Paet to the German FM, and statements in COREPER.
Sillaste-Elling said the GOE is satisfied with the EU's
response to Estonia's "coordinated approach," noting the
Troika's demarche in Moscow and the EU Presidency Statement
issued on May 2. She also stressed that the issue is much
bigger than the Bronze Soldier or the security of Estonia's
Embassy in Moscow. Estonia has been under an "incredible
amount of pressure from Russia," Sillaste-Elling said, and
Russia has a direct desire to influence internal Estonian
politics. She said that unless the countries and
organizations that Russia cares about say something, Russia
will not stop.

Duma Delegation and Curiously Timed Railway Maintenance


4. (SBU) On May 2, the MFA briefed members of the diplomatic
community on the April 30-May 1 visit of a Russian Duma
delegation. MFA Director General for Non-EU Europe, Simmu
Tiik, said the GOE invited the delegation after PM Ansip's
phone conversation with German Chancellor Merkel on April 27,
despite GOE reservations about the delegation's motivations.
These suspicions were confirmed, according to Tiik, when the
head of the Russian delegation, Nikolay Kovalev, told the
press before leaving Moscow that his main purpose was to
demand the resignation of the Estonian Government. In
Tallinn, the Russian parliamentarians continued to make this
demand at every meeting and then refused to attend a
scheduled press/diplomatic corps briefing at the MFA. The
GOE responded by downgrading ministerial-level meetings to
Ministry Chancellors (DepSec equivalents). Tiik emphasized
that the GOE had hoped to use the visit to convey its views
of the situation, but made clear that there was little

TALLINN 00000297 002 OF 003


progress in this direction. For example, when the Russian
delegation asked for access to the site where the Bronze
Soldier exhumations are currently taking place, the Estonians
explained that the Russian Embassy had turned down the GOE's
earlier request that it send a consular representative to the
site. Tiik noted that the GOE did not think it appropriate
for politicians -- Estonian or Russian -- to visit the site
while exhumations are ongoing. The Russian delegation
reportedly said they understood, but then went on to tell the
Russian press that the GOE's refusal to provide access to the
site was "horrible, a sacrilege."

Economic Threats. . .but GOE Remains Optimistic


5. (C) According to press reports, the Russian state railway
monopoly announced planned maintenance of the route that
carries Russian refined oil product exports to Estonia
starting May 1. However, Andro Moldre, Deputy Director of
the Energy Department at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and
Communications, told us that so far he is not aware of any
disruption in oil transit shipments form Russia. He added
that Estonia has accumulated approximately one-half of a
90-day strategic petroleum reserve, per EU mandates, but as
yet the GOE has no plans to use this. On the domestic
consumption side, Moldre said Estonians will not be hurt at
the pump in the event of a stoppage of oil transit, because
retailers get most of the petrol from the Mazieku refinery in
Lithuania, Neste Oil in Finland, and other (non-Russian)
suppliers. Urmas Glaase, Press Spokesman for the Estonian
State Railways (EVR),also confirmed to us that as of noon on
May 3, there have been no disruptions reported to oil
transport shipments through Estonia from Russia, and "EVR's
business is operating as usual." Glaase noted that he had
just spoken with his counterpart at Russian Railways, who did
not indicate any plans to disrupt service.

Most Politicians Rally Behind the Government


6. (SBU) With the exception of the Center Party, all other
political parties -- even those that had previously not
supported plans to relocate the Bronze Soldier -- are now
rallying behind the government. In a meeting with Poloff,
Randel Lants of the Social Democrats and Mark Strandberg of
the opposition Green Party stated that both parties are in
favor of a tough and united response to Russia's actions and
propaganda campaign. According to both Lants and Strandberg
the Duma delegation's visit has only inflamed domestic
political opinion. Alexander Lohtman, another Green Party
MP, observed that the delegation visit harkens back to the
Soviet delegation in the late 1930's that demanded the
resignation of the Estonian government and promptly annexed
the country.


7. (SBU) Center Party leader and Tallinn Mayor Edgar
Savisaar has been vocally criticizing GOE actions, while
rejecting accusations that his own statements undermine the
stability of the state. In a public statement, Savisaar said
"we live in an Estonia different from what it was few days
ago," and that "we have to get out of the war started by
Ansip." An editorial in Postimees, Estonia's paper of
record, criticized Savisaar for using the crisis to try to
bolster his popularity. There has been a strong popular
backlash against Savisaar. A group calling itself the
"Estonian National Movement" has collected over 82,000
signatures requesting that Savisaar step down. (Note: There
is currently no legal mechanism for a petition of this sort
to have anyQct. End Note.)

The Bronze Soldier: Still in One Piece


8. (SBU) On May 1, the GOE place the Bronze Soldier in its
new location in a TalQmilitary cemetery and began
allowing public access to the statue. Members of the mission
visited the site and found the statue to be in good
condition, in a respectful and dignified location, and
surrounded by flowers and peaceful visitors. (Note: Russian
press reported and the Duma deputies claimed, all
incorrectly, that the statue had been cut into pieces. End
Note.) Local police have a marked car and two uniformed
officers stationed outside the cemetery. While the
storefront windows of many Tallinn businesses remain broken
and boarded up and police presence remains high, the
incidences of property destruction and disorderly conduct

TALLINN 00000297 003 OF 003


have declined significantly. Police continue work to
individually identify those who took place in the riots and
prepare for a possible re-escalation of violence as May 9
approaches.


9. (SBU) The GOE recently announced two upcoming events
related to the relocation of the statue. On May 8, as part
of a commemoration of the victims of WWII, the GOE will
invite the diplomatic corps to lay flowers at three sites:
the Klooga Holocaust memorial, the Bronze Soldier, and the
Marjamaa monument to Russian, German, and Estonian soldiers.
The Ministers of Defense and Population will represent the
GOE at these ceremonies. In June, an official ceremony will
be planned to rebury the exhumed bodies and to unveil the
Bronze Soldier at its new location. The Estonians indicate
that they plan to invite not only local diplomats to the
event, but also representatives from allied countries.
PHILLIPS