Earlier this week, it was reported that Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to file a complaint with the International Court of Justice about alleged "discrimination" of Russian speakers in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

 On Tuesday, Tsahkna reiterated in a statement that Russia's actions are "nothing new" and part of the country's "long-standing pattern of behavior," which includes "systematic disinformation and political pressure."

"The purpose of such false claims is to divert attention away from Russia's own grave violations of international law, including its ongoing attacks against Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure. This is a deliberate attempt to obscure the real consequences of its war of aggression and shift the focus elsewhere," he continued.

Russia's accusations against the Baltic States are part of a "broader strategy aimed at undermining support for Ukraine, damaging democratic institutions and sowing uncertainty among Allies," the minister said.

He added: "This constitutes a deliberate misuse of international legal mechanisms for political and propagandistic purposes."

Tsahkna said the three countries believe the accusations are a "coordinated disinformation campaign" against the West and that other EU members could face similar attacks.

Tsahkna also highlighted that Estonia "consistently ranks" among the world's leading nations in the rule of law, democracy, press freedom, education, digital governance and low corruption, and is also a "trusted member" of NATO and the EU.

"Moscow's rhetoric is characterised by hostility, unfounded accusations and distorted narratives. Russia has employed this same pattern ever since Estonia restored its independence in 1991," the minister said.

Russians vs Russian-speakers

Estonia has a large population of Russian citizens, as well as people who speak Russian as a first language but are not ethnically Russian. These include stateless citizens, Ukrainians and Belarusians, as well as ethnic Estonians.

Data from Statistics Estonia shows that 319,600 list Russian as their first language. Of these, 285,000 are defined as non-Estonian citizens and 34,600 as Estonian citizens.

A poll from 2023, showed that 28 percent of people of Russian ethnicity residing in Estonia define themselves solely as Russian, while 68 percent define themselves as Estonian-Russian, Russian-speaking Estonian, or both Estonian and Russian.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill effectively authorizing him to invade foreign countries under the guise of "protection of Russian citizens" abroad.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!