Since Russia’s war against Ukraine began in 2014, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have been boldly demonstrating to the world that even small countries can humiliate a huge state with its imperial ambitions.
If, after the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in Donbas, the governments of the Baltic states, for many legal reasons, could not provide heavy weapons to Ukraine, in 2022, the situation has changed.
When the countries producing howitzers, self-propelled guns, and guns unblocked the supply of their “goods” for Kyiv, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia immediately began to transfer the maximum they could to the Ukrainian armed forces.
Of course, on the one hand, the Baltic countries did so because they realized that in the event of Ukraine’s defeat, they would become the next victims of the Kremlin. However, it is impossible to blame the Estonians, Latvians, and Latvians for the fact that their help could be more sincere and is aimed solely at solving their problems.
After all, each transferred piece of equipment is a severe weakening of their defense potential for them.
What was the reaction of the Kremlin?
In Russia, such news caused desperate anger. Because Putin and his allies do not consider any of the Baltic countries to be sovereign, here it turns out that another “mistake of history” is actively provoking all civilized nations to bury Russian invaders.
But the worst thing for Moscow in this situation is that it is not even capable of any more or less serious provocation to retaliate against the “hostile country.” Because its entire army is sinking in Ukraine and failing, Putin cannot attack such small NATO countries.
So the Russians had to invent a “cruel punishment” by recalling their ambassador from Tallinn and expelling the Estonians from the country. Of course, almost all conscious Estonians left Russia long ago, so they will likely experience a decrease in diplomatic relations. But you can’t say the same about the Russians because many pseudo-liberals fled precisely to the Baltic countries.
Now their connections with diplomatic spies will be somewhat more complicated. On the same day, the Latvians also announced to the Russian ambassador the need to return home before February 24, which only added to the suffering of the bunker Fuhrer. However, the exemplary humiliation of the Kremlin’s imperialists did not end there.
Restrictions of Koenigsberg and the Baltic Fleet
Deciding to show the Russians where they belong, in Tallinn, they finally started talking about introducing the so-called adjacent zone in the Gulf of Finland, which led to hysteria in the Kremlin.
The Russians, who, through the prism of their imperial thoughts, cannot realize anything about equality between peoples, are now powerless. The blow was so humiliating and decisive that even the sad mantra of Russian propagandists about nuclear ash could not soften it.
After all, Estonia can play with the Russians in their favorite hybrid game. At the same time, the Russians will be whipping boys. Still, they will not be able to do anything but complain about “Russophobia.”
Introducing a bordering zone by Tallinn will mean almost complete control over Russian shipping. Estonia can do what the Kremlin used to do to Russia in the Sea of Azov. The only difference is that the Russians cut off Ukraine from the ability to pass through the Kerch Strait in violation of all international laws. Estonians mock Putin legally and indicatively.
Since at the narrowest point of the Gulf of Finland, the distance between the islands of Naissaar and Mäkiluoto is just over 19 nautical miles, and the width of the adjacent zone reaches 24 nautical miles, the Estonian Coast Guard can inspect all ships sailing in the international waters of the gulf.
And for any, even a formal violation, to prohibit boats from passing further into the Baltic Sea. Or call at ports in Kronstadt, Ust-Luga, or St. Petersburg. And if the Russians refuse to check, they may close the bay.
Different greetings can be conveyed to that part of the Baltic Fleet, which, if Estonia approves such a decision, will be able to hold parades only from St. Petersburg to Vyborg. And, of course, it can be enjoyable for the inhabitants of Keninsberg, who exist in ruins and hardly communicate with mainland Russia.
Due to the lack of railway communication as such and the high cost of air, the Kremlin provides Koenigsberg precisely by sea. In the case of introducing a nearby zone, this will have to be done by passing – through the Barents, Norwegian, and North Seas. And this will incredibly increase the cost of shipping any goods.
In addition, it will hit Russian oil exports super-powerfully. Because it will be impossible to export their energy carriers through the port of Primorsk by tankers, the Russians will not be able to do anything about it.
