The Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia will not give refuge to Russians who want to flee Russia after Vladimir Putin ordered a “partial mobilization” that will call up 300,000 reservists as part of preparations to escalate in Ukraine.
The Baltic nations have banned virtually all Russian travelers from entering their territory and won’t make exceptions for Russians who want to avoid being drafted. “A refusal to fulfill one’s civic duty in Russia or a desire to do so does not constitute sufficient grounds for being granted asylum in another country,” Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu told Reuters.
On Twitter, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics cited security reasons as to why Latvia won’t accept Russians fleeing the mobilization. “Due to security reasons, Latvia will not issue humanitarian or other types of visas to those Russian citizens who avoid mobilization,” he wrote.
Putin’s mobilization order sparked protests in Russia and a spike in the purchase of tickets for flights out of Russia, signaling that some Russians will attempt to avoid being called up. According to the Russian human rights group OVD-Info, more than 1,300 Russians were detained in demonstrations across 38 Russian cities.
Baltic officials have framed the measures barring Russians from traveling are meant to punish ordinary Russians for Putin’s war. The actions came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the West to ban all Russians, saying the “whole population” of Russia was responsible for the war and that they should be punished.
Putin said that under his mobilization plans, Russia will call up reservists with prior military experience. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that the 300,000 people that will be called up represents just 1% of the 25 million reservists he says are available.
Zelensky is the puppet of his oligarch funder. He is not a free agent. Ukraine is only a tiny, tiny bit less corrupt than Russia. Are we really going to all go to literal fiery hell over the extraordinarily complex, hundreds of years long disputes of the region? Oh, I very foolishly believed that the US had a policy of avoiding such situations, going back to the formation of the country when those early founders foresaw intractable, dreadful problems resulting from foreign entanglement. Oh, but — things are different now! Sure.
Yes, If Russia wants to be destroyed by Ukrainians wielding US weapons, up to the border of Russia, That is their business, personally I find it a sad waste.
Are there any Russians willing to go to Estonia? There must be better places in this world for deserters!
The mobilization is going great thousands and thousands of Russians have mobilized themselves out of the country.
They were mobilizing out of Russia until yesterday as a the New “No flight out” for adult age males was introduced. Reportedly, Airlines will be fined if they sell tickets or let males to board international flights.
Additionally, if you protest against the war in Russia, you go to prison. But that’s not the worse, once in prison, with the mobilization law, you’ll be automatically drafted into War. So you are going anyways, unless you are rich.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/sep/21/russian-airlines-reportedly-barred-selling-tickets/
At some point Russian men are going to have to decide who is more dangerous to their health, V Putin or V Zelensky.
You probably never been in Estonia. Obviously.
Yes, Bianca. Many Russians go to Estonia as they have family and friends there plus shopping. Not to mention, Estonia is a great Place to live. Then there is Narva, the farthest most town in the Eastern border with Russia. Only separated by a 200 meter long bridge from Russia. It’s a small Russian town full of people that love Russia but don’t want to be Estonian citizens nor want to live in Russia under the current regime. Basically, Stateless Russians by choice. I was in Narva two years ago. Loved it there and I’m pretty sure the Lenin Statue they had is probably gone by now.
Edit:
By the way, Deserters? I guess you are ready to go fight for Russia. Unless you are already in a different capacity.
Hope I expanded enough on my response for you this time.
Good
Because they would have to place them in “captured soldier camps”.
Is it humorous that countries who have already made it clear that “Russians are not welcome here” are now making news by adding Russian dissidents?
BTW. I’ve heard that OVD-Info, the organization that sponsored the protests in Russia, receives more than half of its funding from Brussels.
Most people that have issues with Russia, do not hate Russians. They hate their leaders. I’m pretty sure is the case with the Baltics. Many of my great friends are Russians, I just don’t like Putin and his inner circle of crazies.
OVD info?
Do you believe Russian citizens only protest if they are funded? Putin’s personal war will have their love ones killed. That is the root cause of this protest.
Sure! We loved those Iraqi people too, even when Madeline Albright said it was “worth it” that 500,000 dead kids resulted from our embargos, bombings, and destruction during the Clinton co-Presidency.
The Russian government just “loves” the American people, they just don’t like our (and Nato’s) leaders.
Whataboutism? Cannot comment on that.
No shame in getting owned.
Especially when the response is completely off topic.
No. I don’t believe that Russian citizens only protest if they are funded. But I do believe that Brussels wouldn’t hesitate to sponsor a protest in Russia.
I also believe that both the Euromaidan riots and the Orange Revolution protests in Ukraine were sponsored by European and US provocateurs.
Perhaps they (Russian citizenry) just do not get it. Since 1945 the U.S. has wanted this moment in order to secure its hegemony. At the end of WWII, there were a group of military leaders, General Patton among them, who wanted to attack the Soviet Union, right at its weakest moment, after losing 25 million in the war against the NAZIs, with some accounts saying we wanted to utilize some of the German Army forces. Well, here we are, in a proxy war against Russia. Russian citizens probably do not understand the gravity of the situation. Of course no one wants their loved one to go off to war, but this is serious. Were this country to have the spector of nukes at the doorstep, you can bet something would be done, quickly. This current situation has been building since 1991, hastened along by the Clinton administration, then the Bush administration, including Obama, Trump and now Biden. There is now another problem, or series of problems. China. There are also quite a few countries that are not in our corner, and seek other economic ties. As I type we are stirring up problems in Somalia (again).
The Baltic States have one agenda. Revenge against Russians. All Russians.
The Baltic States also have Russian ethnic minorities which they would prefer to keep as small as possible.
Letting them into NATO was a bad idea on many levels.
Too much history with Russia. Too many scores to settle.
Bad Idea in your personal opinion?
Cause last time I checked, they are pretty happy being a free country and not forcibly annexed into Russia.
Personal opinion ?
Well this is a comenting board is it not ?
I do not believe that joining NATO affords the Baltic States any protection from being forcibly annexed by Russia.
Refraining from abusing their Russian minorites is the best strategy for the Baltic States if they wish to avoid conflict with
Russia.
The US will not defend the Baltic States anymore than Canada would. NATO or no NATO that just will not happen.
The US might defend some parts of Western Europe but that is far from certain.
Eastern Europeans have been sold insurance policies from an insurer that has a track record of not paying claims.
WOW, so much for considering a charm offensive. “WE HATE YOU, even if you disagree with your leader” sounds like one of the most idiotic positions yet. Are they trying to improve recruitment for Russia’s military? They seem to be making a point for Putin.
Educate yourself, it has nothing to do with Hatred. It has more to do with the second and third order effects of having mass exodus into your country of refugees or political exiles. Not to mention the security concerns the article referred to. The Baltics are small, not rich countries. They don’t have the capacity and wealth to receive large amount of Russians over night.
Baltic officials have framed the measures barring Russians from
traveling are meant to punish ordinary Russians for Putin’s war. The
actions came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the
West to ban all Russians, saying the “whole population” of Russia was responsible for the war and that they should be punished.
Yes, I agree. It’s another reason, not the reason.
BS
Check out border crossing activity into the Baltics from Russia since June..
You engage in war you suffer unintended consequences. You don’t punish citizens.
War propaganda! No refuges through Ukraine either because they’d risk being killed in Kiev.