Eastern Europe and the Baltic States
EU and NATO enlargement into former Soviet-controlled Eastern
Europe and the Baltic states has further complicated Russia’s relations
with Europe. Poland and the Baltic states are determined to resist any
perceived Russian influence in their affairs and to use their new status as
EU and NATO members to help cement the independence of neighboring
Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine (as well as Georgia). These policies
impinge on what Russia perceives as its zone of influence in Eurasia and
they inflame Russian nationalism. Tension with Estonia and Latvia,
especially, over alleged discriminatory treatment of ethnic Russians and
Russian-speakers in those countries has been a consistent problem. Tensions
came to a head in 2005 over commemorations of the end of World
War II. Estonia and Latvia refused to attend commemorative ceremonies
in Moscow unless Russia admitted to having occupied those countries
after the war.67 The 2007 relocation of a statue that commemorated
Red Army liberators (according to Russia) or occupiers (according to
Estonia) from its position in a central square in Tallinn to a local cemetery
resulted in a war of words, demonstrations, and cyber attacks on
the part of the Russian and Estonian governments and publics.
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