The Balkan states, like the Baltic states, have always been and continue to be at the center of Russian imperialist ambitions, Vladimir Sazonov, researcher-professor at the Estonian Military Academy and associate professor at the University of Tartu (studies of Middle East)

Among other things, he has drawn attention to the fact that certain politicians of the Baltic states still have ties to Russia and this is one of the harmful elements of Russian influence in those states, so he appeals to be careful in this regard in the Balkans as well.

His order for the fight against Russian influence is to stay and stay strong with the US, the EU and NATO.

You can read the full interview with Sazonov below:

How effective is Russian political influence in the Baltic states?

It is very difficult to measure the effectiveness, of course we have some influence, maybe 20 or 30 years ago it was more effective, but I think it is not very effective and especially after 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, however we have some politicians, groups neo-politics that have ties to Russia or even share pro-Kremlin views, but fortunately, this is not common.

And of course, we talk about political influence and Russian influence operations, today's goal is to interfere in the information space of Estonia and the Baltic states, the European Union, and also they try to have influence not only in Estonia, but also in the whole Union European, NATO and the United States to cause us damage.

And of course if we talk about it, we can see that Russia is trying to use pro-Russian ideas or pro-Russian forces.

For example, if you know about the crisis of the bronze monuments that happened 15 years ago in April 2007, which was caused by Russia and the pro-Russian forces of the Kremlin, so we saw how the riots were carried out by hooligans or local people who speak Russians who are useful idiots, and also people who are provocateurs and hooligans who sent us from Russia to Tallinn, our capital, tried to disguise the situation, there were hostile attacks from Estonia, against Estonian government structures and information operations.

Fortunately they did not succeed, of course we live on the border, we have a border with Russia, we have a Russian percentage, not homogeneous and if we talk about them, then it should be mentioned that Of course among them there are people who are loyal to Estonia, who share the values European, but there are people who also live in the pro-Russian, pro-Kremlin media discourse, and that can certainly be a problem.

In the last 30 years, Estonia became independent, but very aggressively began with Putin's coming to power, especially after Russia annexed Crimea and created so-called Russian-backed republics in the eastern part of Ukraine.

So, before 2022, when Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine, Estonia was already a target of Russian public war.

So, some means, such as a soft power information war, cyber attacks, espionage and Estonia as a member of NATO and the EU, was also listed by Russia as a non-hostile country.

Russia is actively using the concept of the Russian world and the policy of compatriots to influence the entire post-Soviet space between Estonia.

Well we have a big Russian community and we must not forget the economic pressure, of course Estonia became less and less dependent on Russia for decades, but still we depend on Russian gas and oil.

they liberated Estonia and Eastern Europe from the Nazis, but they were not free.

The old Nazi regime, the oppressive totalitarian fascist Nazi regime was changed to another totalitarian oppressive Soviet regime, and Russia used such monuments as propaganda.

And many Russians come to these tanks, and these Soviet tanks or monuments became cult objects, objects where they celebrate, this May 9 and other Soviet things.

And this tank was now moved from the border town, which is on the Russian border Narva to a war museum in Tallinn, but after that our country faced a very expensive cyber attack, probably from Russia, of course I think it is from Russia.

You see, we always have problems with Russia, and this is really an issue.

the totalitarian fascist oppressive Nazi regime was changed to another totalitarian oppressive Soviet regime, and Russia used such monuments as propaganda.

And many Russians come to these tanks, and these Soviet tanks or monuments became cult objects, objects where they celebrate, this May 9 and other Soviet things.

And this tank was now moved from the border town, which is on the Russian border Narva to a war museum in Tallinn, but after that our country faced a very expensive cyber attack, probably from Russia, of course I think it is from Russia.

You see, we always have problems with Russia, and this is really an issue.

the totalitarian fascist oppressive Nazi regime was changed to another totalitarian oppressive Soviet regime, and Russia used such monuments as propaganda.

And many Russians come to these tanks, and these Soviet tanks or monuments became cult objects, objects where they celebrate, this May 9 and other Soviet things.

And this tank was now moved from the border town, which is on the Russian border Narva to a war museum in Tallinn, but after that our country faced a very expensive cyber attack, probably from Russia, of course I think it is from Russia.

You see, we always have problems with Russia, and this is really an issue.

objects where they celebrate, this May 9 and other Soviet things.

And this tank was now moved from the border town, which is on the Russian border Narva to a war museum in Tallinn, but after that our country faced a very expensive cyber attack, probably from Russia, of course I think it is from Russia.

You see, we always have problems with Russia, and this is really an issue.

objects where they celebrate, this May 9 and other Soviet things.

And this tank was now moved from the border town, which is on the Russian border Narva to a war museum in Tallinn, but after that our country faced a very expensive cyber attack, probably from Russia, of course I think it is from Russia.

You see, we always have problems with Russia, and this is really an issue.

I can add about the political connections, let's say that the Estonian internal security service also discovered and published this annual report every year when they mention some politicians who have ties to Russia, for example, the former leader of the Estonian Center Party, Edgar Savisaar there was some kind of connection, active connection with Russia, and in the Center Party they even have an agreement with the Russian Party, United Russia, of course, not all people in the Center Party are pro-Russian, but some of them had connections, and in 2010 , the Estonian internal security service discovered and published a case when Edgar Savisaar nw atw kohw, leader of the Center Party, sought financial support for his party from the Russian government.

Your message to the Balkan states so they don't become the next Ukraine?

Yes, of course it is very difficult, you have to look for this complex problem, your country as I know has problems and tensions with Serbia, and Russia always tries to use this opportunity or create new opportunities.

They use this "Kosophobia" and the pressure of discrimination, which is a total lie and hostile narrative.

They also use anti-European, anti-EU, anti-NATO movements.

They try to create, support and finance them.

But what is very important to say, we all must, as well as the Balkan states must be very careful.

The Balkans were always the focus of Russian imperialist ambitions, as were the Baltic states.

The Balkan states have a very important strategic position in Europe.

It is a very important country and it is important to prevent such hybrid treatments and to assess the possible security risks, and not only from Russia and pro-Russian forces, which are critical, working on improving critical thinking, especially in information warfare.

Countering Russian disinformation is very important, but also countering Russian espionage and Russian networks that the Russians are creating, to stand against fake news information, to provide more secure economic measures, to not be dependent on oligarchs Russia, in the Russian economy.

Energy, if it depends on Russia, should be minimized, because it is also very dangerous.

Of course they not only influence the far right or the far left, but they also try to influence liberal movements, of course it is more difficult to influence liberal people, but Russia is trying to corrupt, buy politicians, so no we have to trust official Russian sources as well as unofficial ones.

But of course, cooperation with the EU and NATO and the United States is much more important.

The US is a very important player, global player and only together, I mean Europe, the United States and as much as possible pro-west.

And in that case, if we are united, together we are stronger, but what Russia is doing is dividing societies.

Their ideal, the Russian war is, the young are against the old, the people of one religion are against another religion, some of the minorities are against the other, etc.

They want to have tensions and wars and conflicts within all societies, if one subculture is against another subculture, if there is hatred, if there is fear if there is a lot of xenophobia, that is what Russia wants, because it is creating chaos and Russia is trying to manage this chaos and this makes Putin's regime stronger.

/The Geopost/