Estonia Is The Tripwire For Russia To Cross

An American Ally In Putin's Line Of Fire -- Matthew Kaminski, Wall Street Journal

Estonia's president, who was raised in New Jersey, on how Crimea has changed 'everything' and what NATO should do now.

From the pinkish presidential palace here, the Russia border lies 130 miles due east across a flat coastal Baltic plain. Toomas Hendrik Ilves took up residence in 2006, two years after his small Baltic state joined the European Union and NATO. At the time, most people assumed that any Russian threat had been buried with Peter the Great, who first brought Estonia into Russia's empire.

Not so fast. "Everything has changed," President Ilves says almost as soon as we sit down for a Thursday afternoon coffee.

"The post-Cold War order. Peace, love, Woodstock. Everyone gets along—sure we have minor problems here and there, human rights not always so good, but there are no more border changes." After last month, he says, "that's out." Russia annexed Crimea, massed forces on Ukraine's eastern borders, and prodded "Russian speakers" to rise against the government in Kiev. Moscow also pointedly complained about the treatment of Slavic kinsmen in the Baltic states, the same charge used to justify the invasion of Ukraine.

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My Comment: In any conflict with Russia Estonia will play the role of tripwire .... a role that I hope will never become a reality in the future.