Russian & #Estonia’s treatment of its large ethnic #Russian minorit

Russian officials last night expressed ‘outrage’ at Estonia’s treatment of its large ethnic Russian minority.Nearly 80 years ago, Germany began its annexation of nearby states with the widely broadcast notion of protecting marginalised German-language speakers.

Russia is now adopting the same line towards ex-members of the Soviet Union.Even as Ukraine surrenders any hope of retaining control of Crimea through ordering withdrawal of all its remaining troops, NATO has ramped up the rhetoric.

President Obama, however, appears to be playing the appeaser. In an interview with NBC News he reiterated that the US would not be taking military action in Ukraine against Russia.Ukraine has offered a hint: It is saying it will soon hold “joint military exercises” with the United States and Britain.

US officials have said they are reviewing a request from Kiev for military support, including arms, ammunition and non-lethal equipment.

Ukraine’s ambassador told the UN human rights council that it had found no credible evidence of mistreatment of its Russian minority

It retorted by asking for assurances against minority groups in Crimea, such as the Muslim Tartars and Ukrainian communities.Given the lack of vigour in the West’s reaction to the invasion of Crimea, many of the smaller former Soviet Union states now feel powerless as Putin begins to invoke the propaganda of history, language and culture (all from his perspective) as ‘cause for concern’ over their affairs.Now, Ukraine is made up of about 30 million Ukrainian speakers and 15 million Russian speakers. The main religion is Orthodox (15 million followers), with a sizeable chunk of Catholics (2.5 million).

Unlike its northern neighbours, it has until recently maintained close and friendly contact with its former Russian overlords.

But the recent overthrow of the corrupt Yanukovych government saw Russia lose the last vestiges of its Soviet Union-era influence over the strategic and beautiful region.

President Putin simply could not put up with that. Thus the Crimean ‘velvet invasion’

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